Nuclear energy for sustained growth
This week I am attending two important energy fora. First is the “Power 101: Energy Security in times of La Niña and El Niño” seminar for media on April 21 and 22 at the Seda Hotel BGC, Taguig, which is sponsored by Aboitiz Power (AP) and the Department of Energy (DoE). The second is the “Giga Summit 2025: The Fusion of Power and Intelligence,” on April 24 and 25 at The Fifth at Rockwell Center, Makati, and sponsored by the Meralco Power Academy. It will feature over 30 local and international experts on nuclear power and AI.
On Day 1 of Power 101, Suiee Suarez, AP Vice-President for Corporate Affairs gave a welcome message with a realistic point of view, noting that “our energy supply is subject to stresses due to variability of weather, seasons and climate cycles; demand also varies but it is growing with our modern lifestyles and desire for more prosperous lives, so we need an energy system that can meet this rising demand despite the variability.”
In the DoE presentation, Mark Christian Marollano, Supervising Science Research Specialist at the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB), highlighted that energy security and stability should be secured during both El Niño and La Niña cycles. Continuous coordination and facilitation among the DoE, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), and other government agencies to bring more power plants, both thermal and weather-based like hydro.
The “Giga Summit” looks very interesting to me. On Day 1, four key messages are to be given by DoE Secretary Raphael PM Lotilla, PhilAtom sponsor Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta, and Meralco Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.
Topics on Day 1 are mostly about nuclear energy, like “France’s Flamanville 3, the biggest nuclear reactor in the world” by Alice Radjagobal of Electricite de France (EDF). Then there will be a panel on “Policy and regulatory blueprints to enable a nuclear-powered future” with Brian Fehrenbach of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) and Dr. Kirsten Cutler of the US State Department. Moderators are Dr. Carlo Arcilla of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and Dr. Ike Dimayuga of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
There will be another panel, “Nuclear power: the Operator’s perspective” with Brian Fehrenbach of OCNI, Yuzuru Yoshioka of the Japan Electric Power Information Center, Brian Meadors of Excel Services Corp., Victor Barrado Campos of EDF, and Jehyun Yoon of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corp. The moderators are also Dr. Arcilla and Dr. Dimayuga.
The last panel for Day 1 is “Strengthening nuclear partnerships for energy security in ASEAN countries” by James Voss, ASEAN Director of Excel Services Corp.
I reviewed some numbers on nuclear generation, derived the kWh per capita production, and there are some interesting results.
One, the US and Canada have rising overall nuclear generation but their nuclear per capita production is falling.
Two, most European nations are slowly moving away from nuclear power, both in total and per capita generation. These include France, Germany, the UK, Belgium, Spain, Sweden. Joining then in this trend are Japan and Taiwan.
Three, a few European nations are increasing their nuclear use like Russia and the Czech Republic. In Asia, China and South Korea are following this trend (see Table 1), as are India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Comparing the nuclear generation kWh per capita with GDP per capita at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) values, the results are also interesting.
One, countries that have slightly declining nuclear per capita generation over two decades (lower than -25%) also have modest increases in GDP per capita, like the US and Canada.
Two, countries with a steep decline in nuclear per capita generation (more than -25%) also have a modest increase in GDP per capita, like Germany, the UK, Belgium, and Japan. An exception is Taiwan, which has a high expansion in GDP per capita because its overall power generation increased big time. It saw a reduction in nuclear power but increased its use of coal and gas.
Three, countries with rising nuclear power per capita have had a huge expansion in GDP per capita, namely Russia, the Czech Republic, China, and South Korea. China’s increases are phenomenal, outlier high (see Table 2).
There are many factors for countries’ fast or slow growth and their level of power generation is only one of them, but it is an important factor, including nuclear power.
I hope that the new partnership in LNG development by three big power companies — AP, Meralco Power Gen, and San Miguel Global Power — will be extended into developing big conventional nuclear plants. So far Meralco is far ahead in its nuclear power preparations, thanks to the leadership of Mr. Pangilinan.
Sustaining growth, continued increase in our per capita income yearly, the endless pursuit of human prosperity and modernity — these are fair goals and we must provide ample and abundant energy supplies to support these goals.
Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. Research Consultancy Services, and Minimal Government Thinkers. He is an international fellow of the Tholos Foundation.
