Nuclear Energy Program (Philippines)
The Philippine Nuclear Energy Program (NEP) is the government’s initiative to develop nuclear power as a long-term, low-carbon energy option. The DOE chairs the program through a whole-of-government approach. Nuclear energy is included in both Clean Energy Scenarios of the PEP 2023-2050 and excluded from the Reference Scenario.
Statutory Regulatory Framework (RA 12305, 2025)
The “Comprehensive Nuclear Legislation” targeted under Milestone 2 was enacted as RA 12305 (Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act), signed September 18, 2025. It creates the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) — the independent nuclear regulatory body targeted under Milestone 2. See Digest: RA 12305 — Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act and Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) for full detail.
Key provisions with direct bearing on the NEP [RA 12305, 2025]:
- PhilATOM is established as an independent quasi-judicial body with sole and exclusive regulatory jurisdiction; absorbs regulatory functions from PNRI and FDA-CDRRHR [RA 12305, §6, 2025]
- Reactor type restriction: only LWR and HWR may be licensed until non-water-cooled reactors (e.g., gas-cooled or molten-salt SMRs) have operated accident-free for 19,710 hours in the country of origin; exception via PhilATOM Council + presidential executive issuance [RA 12305, §17(e), 2025]
- Construction authorization cap: 18 months [RA 12305, §16, 2025]
- EDG elevation requirement: ≥18m above sea level; no basements [RA 12305, §17(h), 2025]
- Two trust funds for nuclear power plant operators: Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management Fund + Decommissioning Trust Fund, both held by DBP and not passed to consumers [RA 12305, §17(b)(c), 2025]
- Siting restrictions: no sites classified as high-risk for earthquakes/volcanic activity/flooding; enhanced review for protected areas, KBAs, and ancestral domains [RA 12305, §17(a), 2025]
- Regulatory fees: capped at P0.02/kWh for nuclear power plant operators [RA 12305, §17(i), 2025]
- Transition: 1 year from effectivity after PhilATOM Council constituted; PNRI retains research and waste management functions [RA 12305, §52, §58, 2025]
Governance Structure
NEPIO (Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization): established by the DOE in 2016 to study the feasibility of including nuclear power in the generation mix [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section A, p.1, 2023].
NEP-IAC (Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee): created by Executive Order 116 (July 2020) to provide a whole-of-government approach. Composition: 24 member government agencies; DOE chairs, DOST vice-chairs [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section A, p.1, 2023].
The NEP-IAC is organized into six sub-committees (SCs) which together address the 19 Infrastructure Issues of the IAEA Milestone Approach:
| SC | Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| SC 1 | National Position, Management, Funding and Financing, Electrical Grid, Procurement |
| SC 2 | Nuclear Safety, Radiation Protection |
| SC 3 | Legal Framework, Regulatory Framework, Nuclear Safeguards |
| SC 4 | Human Resource Development, Stakeholders’ Involvement |
| SC 5 | Site and Supporting Facilities, Environmental Protection, Emergency Planning |
| SC 6 | Nuclear Security, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Radioactive Waste Management, Industrial Involvement |
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Figure 1, p.1, 2023]
National Position and Legal Framework
Executive Order 164 (February 2022): issued the Philippines’ National Position — the formal government commitment to civilian nuclear energy development. Drafted by the NEP-IAC after 2020 [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section A, p.2, 2023].
Comprehensive Nuclear Legislation: enacted as RA 12305 (Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act), signed September 18, 2025. Establishes the legal and regulatory basis for nuclear power plant construction and operation. See Digest: RA 12305 — Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act . [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Table 2, p.5, 2023]
Independent Nuclear Regulatory Body: established as PhilATOM under RA 12305 (§6); independent quasi-judicial body with sole and exclusive regulatory jurisdiction. See Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) . [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Table 2, p.5, 2023]
IAEA Milestone Approach
The NEP timeline follows the IAEA three-milestone framework for nuclear power program development:
| Milestone | Period | Key Objectives | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone 1 — Foundational | 2023–2024 | National Position, policy framework, INIR Mission, capacity building | Completed (as of 2023) |
| Milestone 2 — Project Development | 2024–2028 | Nuclear legislation enacted, regulatory body established, site characterization, NPP regulatory compliance | In progress |
| Milestone 3 — Construction | 2028–2032 | Final investment decision, contracting, construction | Targeted |
| Commercial Operation | 2032 | First nuclear power plant online (1,200 MW) | Targeted |
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Figure 2/3, pp.3–6, 2023]
Milestone 1 accomplishments (2022–2023): National Position issued (EO 164); 11 potential NPP sites assessed; RADPLAN (nuclear/radiological emergency preparedness and response plan) drafted; 123 Agreement with the US signed; nuclear legislation drafted; Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement monitoring ongoing; regulatory body design underway [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Table 1, pp.3–4, 2023].
PH-US NCMOU (CERAWeek 2022)
Prior to the formal 123 Agreement, the Philippines and the US signed two documents on the sidelines of CERAWeek 2022 in Houston, Texas:
- NCMOU (MOU Concerning Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation): a non-legally binding document expressing mutual interest in nuclear energy cooperation consistent with shared security interests; serves as a precursor and political signal preceding the formal 123 Agreement
- CEDI (Clean Energy Demand Initiative) Letter of Intent (LOI): brings corporations and countries together to promote clean energy investment
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section E, p.59, 2023]
123 Agreement (US–Philippines, 2023)
The Philippines and the United States signed the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the “123 Agreement”) in November 2023 in San Francisco, witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The agreement was negotiated in seven months — described as the fastest 123 Agreement ever completed [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section A, p.4, 2023].
Once in force, the agreement allows direct transfer of nuclear material, equipment, components, and information between the Philippines and the US (or through authorized persons), supporting potential nuclear power projects with US providers. See Philippines–US 123 Agreement (2023) .
Capacity Targets
| Milestone | Capacity | Year |
|---|---|---|
| First nuclear capacity online | 1,200 MW | 2032 |
| Second tranche | +1,200 MW → 2,400 MW total | 2035 |
| Full target | +2,400 MW → 4,800 MW total | 2050 |
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. I, p.10, 2023; Vol. III, Section A, p.5, 2023; PDP 2023-2050, p.62, 2025]
The PDP 2023-2050 CEM formally encodes these milestones as constraints in both CES 1 and CES 2 model runs, confirming these targets as the operative planning assumption for nuclear capacity entry [PDP 2023-2050, p.62, 2025].
Generation Output Under CES-1
| Year | Gross Generation | Share of Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2032 (entry) | 9.7 TWh | ~3% |
| 2040 | 19.4 TWh | 6.9% |
| 2050 | 38.6 TWh | 8.7% |
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. I, Table 27, 2023]
Nuclear contributes 10.1 MTOE to CES-1 TPES by 2050 — 7.9% of total primary energy supply [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. I, Table 25, 2023].
Technologies
Conventional PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor): the baseline technology assumed in the capacity targets.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): highlighted as a cost-competitive alternative with reduced resource requirements enabling faster deployment than conventional PWRs. SMRs also carry reduced fuel requirements and are identified as a potential sustainable power source for off-grid areas [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section A, p.6, 2023].
Site assessment notes: Milestone 2 includes evaluating nuclear installation in Mindoro Island and Palawan — both are off-grid or semi-grid areas where SMRs are particularly relevant [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Table 2, p.5, 2023].
“Domestic” Energy Classification
Despite requiring uranium mineral imports, nuclear energy is classified as domestic production because uranium enrichment — the conversion of raw mineral to usable nuclear fuel — constitutes domestic energy conversion. This improves the Philippines’ energy self-sufficiency metric: under CES-1, domestic nuclear supply reaches 10.1 MTOE by 2050, contributing to the improvement from 38.9% (REF) to 52.9% (CES-1) [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. I, p.87, 2023].
Strategic Role
Nuclear plays two roles in the CES:
- Baseload supply — provides stable, dispatchable low-carbon generation to complement variable RE (solar and wind), compensating for VRE intermittency without requiring massive BESS
- Import reduction — classified as indigenous energy; displaces LNG imports that would otherwise grow to 24.3 MTOE under REF [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. I, p.14, 2023]
Nuclear also opens the possibility of repurposing existing coal power plant sites (existing grid connections, cooling water access, trained workforce) for nuclear installations [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Section A, p.6, 2023]. See Philippine Energy Transition Program (PETP) .
Both CES 1 and CES 2 in the PDP 2023-2050 include coal repurposing as a paired assumption alongside nuclear capacity entry. As of February 2025, the DOE was “presently engaged in discussions regarding offers and financing mechanisms from multi-lateral development partners” on coal repurposing, with stakeholder forums planned [PDP 2023-2050, p.62, 2025].
Historical Context
The Philippines built the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in the 1980s under President Marcos Sr. It was never commissioned due to safety concerns and political opposition following the 1986 People Power Revolution. The NEP 2023 does not reference BNPP as a candidate site; fresh siting assessments of 11 locations are underway [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. III, Table 1, p.3, 2023].