IN preparation for the looming power crisis in the next few years and to have clean energy, the Philippine Government is considering bringing in a safe, clean and affordable “modular nuclear power plant” into the country, said the Philippines’ top envoy to the United States (US).

Philippine Ambassador to Washington D.C. Jose Manuel Romualdez said the main concern of the Marcos administration is the economy, so the government is looking at the US to have more economic trade, economic activity, climate change, and clean energy among others.

“The United States is offering us modular nuclear power plants, which hopefully will be available to us in the next couple of years to solve our energy problems. All of this is part and parcel of President Marcos’ objective of seeing the global economy to recover,” he explained.

Romualdez said the US first offered the technology during a meeting between US climate envoy John Kerry and Southeast Asian diplomats at the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C.

“He (Kerry) clearly stated that this is going to be the ‘wave of the future’ in terms of clean energy. So I think that that’s one area where we are really very interested in, and hopefully, we’ll be able to bring that here,” Amb. Romualdez said.

The advanced Small Modular Reactor (SMR) that is being developed by the US offers “relatively small physical footprints, reduced capital investment, ability to be sited in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants, and provisions for incremental power additions,” according to the US Department of Energy.

The US Department of Energy said the SMRs offer distinct safeguards, security, and nonproliferation advantages.

Romualdez said the technology would be available late next year “at the earliest”, but it’s been fast-tracked.

“I know this is very important for the world to see this as a way out of this climate change,” he said.

Romualdez said the US International Development Finance Corporation will be involved in said activity, adding some local private companies engaged in energy are keen on entering into this joint venture.

“They will invest in something like this as a joint venture with a local company. I think several private companies are already looking into this – those that are involved in energy,” he said.

“We are hoping that there’ll be more private companies here in the Philippines that will look into this as a way of being able to accelerate our energy requirements for the future,” he said.

Romualdez also revealed that some American companies are interested in investing in oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea.

“Mayroon namang interesado pero ang problema natin talaga is we have to have a clear policy on how this would go about,” Romualdez said.

The envoy said many companies that wanted to enter the Philippines were mostly concerned about “ownership”.

“I think there’s already been an enabling law that was passed even during the administration of former President (Rodrigo) Duterte, and we’re hoping to follow up on that one, and there’d be a clear policy that will be given for investors,” he said.

“Of course, joint exploration is very important, that’s a natural resource of ours. Some laws have to more or less be either changed or enable private companies or companies interested in developing this area that will be equitable in a way,” he added.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced the Philippines had “terminated” oil exploration talks with China after three years of negotiation.

Locsin said both sides got as far as constitutionally possible, but another step forward would have risked a “constitutional crisis”.

Romualdez said Beijing was hoping that the Marcos administration would revive the talks.