Marcos eyes 'cutting edge' micro nuclear fuel technology to solve power crisis
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is eyeing a “cutting-edge" micro nuclear fuel technology as part of his government’s efforts to solve the country’s power crisis.
This comes after the chief executive met with officials of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, a US-based firm global leader and vertical integrator of nuclear technologies and services.
In a meeting in Washington, Francesco Venneri, CEO of Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, expressed interest to bringing clean and reliable nuclear energy to the Philippines, describing the move as "probably a very important way for us to enter the market.”
USNC said it is seriously considering the Philippines for its first nuclear energy facility in Southeast Asia and vowed to help address the series of blackouts that hit several areas of the country.
"We also note that there’s a great deal of discussion about Mindoro having blackouts and that might be an excellent….a good science [solution],” said Venneri, referring to the weeks of power outages in Occidental Mindoro.
The Marcos administration earlier swiftly acted on the power crisis in the province with the operation of at least three power stations to provide 24-hour electricity power service in the province.
According to USNC officials, the micro modular reactor (MMR) energy system is a fourth generation nuclear energy system that seeks to deliver safe, clean, and cost-effective electricity to users.
The MMR is being licensed in Canada and the US and considered the first "fission battery" in commercialization.
The company anticipates eventual heavy demand for its MMRs and its nuclear fuel, and envisions the Philippines as its nuclear hub in the region.
Ensuring an unhampered supply of energy alongside the promotion and utilization of renewable energy sources are top priorities of the Marcos administration in an aggressive bid to realize a sufficient and clean energy supply in the future. Presidential News Desk
