Philippines - World Nuclear Outlook Report
Nuclear policy and outlook
The Philippines began construction of a 621 MWe Westinghouse unit at the Bataan nuclear plant in 1976. It was completed in 1984 but fuel was never loaded. The Philippine government has been working with KHNP to assess the feasibility of reviving the Bataan project.
The Philippines is also looking at options for building new nuclear power plants, including both large reactors and small modular reactors.
In its Clean Energy scenario, the Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050 targeted at least 1200 MWe nuclear capacity in 2032, an additional 1200 MWe by 2035 and an additional 2400 MWe by 2050.
In September 2025, President Marcos signed the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act. It created PhilATOM as an independent regulator, separating regulation from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute's promotional role.
In October 2025 the Department of Energy designated the first commercial plant, with baseload treatment and priority dispatch. As of September 2026, the Department of Energy was still consulting on revised nuclear capacity tender guidelines.
Table Ph.1 Contributions to total capacity projection in 2050 (gross)
| 60 year operation (MWe) | 80 year operation (MWe) | Currently under construction capacity (MWe) | Planned capacity (MWe) | Proposed capacity (MWe) | Potential capacity (MWe) | Government capacity target (MWe) | Additional capacity* required to meet government target (MWe) | Total capacity (MWe) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | 4800 | 4800 | 4800 |
| *Capacity additional to operable, under construction, planned, proposed and potential capacities required to meet the government target. | ||||||||
Readiness Assessment
The Philippines has made substantial progress on its policy and regulatory framework, but has yet to commit to a first project or finalize its delivery and financing arrangements.
| Country Category | Candidate |
|---|---|
| Policy Framework Readiness | Low-Moderate The government is committed to nuclear development but implementation and financing arrangements still need to be developed. |
| Institutional and Infrastructure Readiness | Low-Moderate The new nuclear regulator (PhilATOM) and wider institutional system need to demonstrate operational capability for a first nuclear plant licensing programme. |
| Programme & Project Development | Moderate Several nuclear project initiatives are active, but there is no committed project with a defined site or technology in place. |
| Target Achievability | Low The 2032 target for 1200 MWe of capacity is not likely to be met. The longer-term objectives are more achievable if a first project moves rapidly into development, with a programme of subsequent projects. |