Nuclear power could offer the Philippines a long-term solution to its ongoing energy crisis, according to a fellow at the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
In an interview on the government program Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, Mark Aliperio said the country needs a stable power source and that its current energy supply relies heavily on imported fossil fuels.
The Visayas grid has been placed on red alert multiple times in recent months amid recurring power shortages, prompting local officials to demand contingency plans. Data from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies show that fossil fuels made up about 70 percent of the country’s total primary energy supply in 2024, while the national energy self-sufficiency ratio has continued to slide, down to roughly 45 percent.
Aliperio said renewable sources such as solar energy have limitations, since output depends on weather and time of day. Nuclear power, he said, could fill that gap.
“Nuclear energy could be a good backup since it could run 24/7 for about 18 months. This is not an instant solution, but a long-term solution,” he said, adding that the country cannot rely on a single energy source.
There is currently no operating nuclear power plant in the Philippines. To help prepare for one, DOST in 2025 established the Nuclear Plant Simulator (NuSim) and Analyzer Facility project, which Aliperio now heads. The project is designed to build technical capacity and train future plant workers by simulating real operating conditions.
“The simulator prepares future operators for possible conditions or glitches,” Aliperio said.
Since the facility was established, it has run multiple training courses for more than 200 trainees, he added.
DOST has not announced a timeline for an operational nuclear plant in the Philippines. For now, the NuSim facility continues training the workforce that would be needed if the country moves forward with one.
