Philippines' 2032 Nuclear Goal Faces Delay as Draft Tender Points to 2038

A six year gap between the target and planned deliveries

The Philippines is aiming to start producing nuclear electricity with 1,200 megawatts of capacity in 2032, but its proposed procurement timetable points to first deliveries in 2038. William D. Magwood IV, director general of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, says the earlier deadline is unlikely to be met because preparing a nuclear project takes longer than six years.

The gap is becoming clearer as the Department of Energy develops rules for buying the country's first nuclear generation capacity. A draft auction framework schedules electricity deliveries in stages from 2038 to 2047, while the new Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, known as PhilATOM, is still awaiting leadership appointments and completion of its implementing rules.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has described the 2032 goal as achievable. Energy officials are keeping that target while acknowledging that projects covered by the proposed tender could start supplying power in 2038. Projects developed through other arrangements could potentially begin earlier, so the tender timetable applies to a particular route for developing nuclear power.

Magwood, speaking on the sidelines of the Philippine Nuclear Regulatory Framework Workshop, explained why he considers the deadline difficult:

I don't think you're going to have the first reactor operating in six years. It simply takes longer than that. You might have a decision in six years. This is very complicated.

For electricity users, the practical difference is six years between the government's initial target and the first deliveries envisaged under the draft tender. During that interval, the country would still need other sources of electricity to meet demand.

What the government is actually targeting

The government's starting objective is 1,200 MW in 2032. Megawatts measure generating capacity, or how much power a plant can produce at a given moment. The amount of electricity delivered over a year also depends on how often the plant operates.

The DOE's September tender update sets out a subsequent target of 2,400 MW by 2035 and 4,800 MW by 2050. An earlier description of the Philippine Energy Plan placed the 2,400 MW milestone in 2045, ten years later. The September statement gives the DOE's more recent stated timetable.

The figures show the scale of the ambition: 2,400 MW is twice the initial capacity target, while 4,800 MW is four times that starting level. Delivering those increases would require successive projects and the institutions, transmission connections and financing needed to support them.

Patrick T. Aquino, director of the DOE Energy Utilization Management Bureau, said the targets are intended to push agencies to speed up preparations. He acknowledged that actual electricity delivery could begin in 2038 while explaining that the government had not formally changed its goal.

Aquino described the department's position this way:

Nuclear power projects take a long time, take a lot of push. We are still not officially changing (but are) still hopeful of getting it done.

How the proposed auction would work

The DOE plans to procure nuclear generation capacity through a competitive tender, in which prospective developers submit bids under rules set by the government. The process would select projects to supply capacity, with price and technical requirements shaping which proposals qualify.

Baker McKenzie's July legal briefing describes a draft timetable targeting the auction for June 2027, an award notice by December 2027 and first electricity delivery in 2038. Further deliveries would be staggered through 2047.

The DOE presented revised draft guidelines at a second public consultation on September 25, 2026, at its auditorium in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Aquino outlined changes incorporating comments from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, Meralco and other industry participants.

The key dates show how policy, procurement and construction are expected to unfold:

• September 18, 2025: Republic Act No. 12305, the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, was signed.
• July 6, 2026: Baker McKenzie's briefing described the draft tender framework and its proposed delivery schedule.
• September 25, 2026: The DOE held its second public consultation on revised tender guidelines.
• June 2027: The draft timetable targets the nuclear capacity auction.
• December 2027: The draft timetable anticipates a notice of award.
• 2032: The government targets an initial 1,200 MW of nuclear capacity.
• 2038 to 2047: The draft tender envisages electricity deliveries in stages.

The circular remains under consultation, so the auction and delivery dates are proposals. The DOE said it would evaluate consultation comments before finalizing the guidelines.

A new regulator must become operational

Republic Act No. 12305 established PhilATOM as an independent regulator responsible for nuclear and radiation activities. Signed on September 18, 2025, the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act provides an institutional foundation for the country's nuclear plans.

The law required implementing rules within 180 days of its effectivity. Those rules remained unfinished, and appointments to the PhilATOM Council were still pending. Aquino said Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin had reminded the Office of the President about the need to appoint the officials.

PhilATOM would oversee safety decisions covering site selection, construction, commissioning and operation. Commissioning is the stage when equipment and systems are tested before a plant enters regular service.

The DOE would run the competitive procurement process. A winning bidder would still need PhilATOM's authorization, along with other required permits and approvals, before construction or other regulated activities could proceed.

Staffing is another major task. Magwood said recruiting qualified specialists is difficult even in OECD countries. The Philippines needs people capable of assessing technical designs, inspecting facilities and maintaining independent safety oversight throughout a plant's life.

The DOE says it is working on workforce training and technical cooperation with countries that already operate nuclear facilities. Those preparations must develop alongside the projects, because both developers and the regulator need qualified personnel.

The grid is part of the construction schedule

The September draft revisions give transmission planning a central role. Preliminary grid feasibility, where applicable, would help determine how much capacity the DOE offers in each tender round.

A reactor needs a reliable connection to the electricity network before it can supply customers. The proposed bid requirements therefore cover substations, connection points, transmission needs and grid synchronization. Synchronization means matching a generator's electrical output with the conditions of the network it is joining.

The DOE proposes procuring capacity in stages, with delivery schedules taking account of site development, reactor technology, financing, licensing and grid readiness. Construction schedules would reflect the technology chosen and the winning bidder's approved proposal.

Magwood's warning also reflects the discussions required among governments, utilities and vendors before construction. A developer needs agreement on what will be built, where it will connect, who will finance it and how it will receive permission to operate.

The Philippines is exploring both revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and construction of smaller reactors. Those options involve different development decisions, making the choice of project and technology an important part of establishing a workable schedule.

Who would pay, and how would prices be set?

The draft framework gives the Energy Regulatory Commission responsibility for determining the applicable price threshold, reserve price, tariff range or pricing methodology for each tender round. These are the limits or methods used to judge the prices developers offer.

Bids above the applicable tender price or ceiling would face disqualification under the tender's terms and relevant regulations. For developers, the permitted price affects whether a project can recover its costs. For consumers, it helps determine the cost of the electricity procured.

The July draft also allows a winning bidder to request negotiations on sovereign support or a guarantee. A sovereign guarantee is a government commitment to cover specified obligations if agreed conditions arise. Its financial effect depends on the terms ultimately negotiated.

The government could acquire up to 10% equity in the project company under the proposal. Equity is an ownership share, giving the government a financial stake in the business. The legal briefing also described the possibility of preferential treatment for developers entering the program first.

The final financing terms, government commitments and electricity prices have yet to be settled. Together with construction and licensing requirements, those decisions will shape which projects can proceed and when.

Strong public support, with local differences

DOE surveys show nationwide approval for nuclear power rising from 79% in 2019 to 82% in 2024, an increase of three percentage points. That gives the government a substantial base of public support as it prepares the program.

Support in communities considered for nuclear development has ranged from 60% to 90%. Locations assessed include Bataan, Palawan, Masbate, Pangasinan and Camarines Norte. The range shows that acceptance varies considerably by place.

Local decisions will bring the program closer to residents who would live near facilities. Site selection, safety arrangements and waste management will give those communities specific proposals to consider, beyond the national question of whether the Philippines should use nuclear energy.

Magwood expressed confidence in the country's ability to develop a nuclear program, despite his concern about the deadline. He pointed to its existing people, expertise and leadership as reasons it could succeed.

Waste disposal remains an unfinished decision

Spent nuclear fuel remains a concern for potential host communities. Fuel removed from a reactor is still radioactive and produces heat, so it requires controlled handling and storage.

Magwood said specialized containers can store spent fuel safely for decades before disposal in geological repositories. A geological repository is a facility deep underground designed to isolate radioactive waste over very long periods.

The Philippines has not decided how it will handle final disposal, leaving the eventual cost difficult to estimate. The decision will affect the facilities needed, their location and the long term responsibilities attached to operating nuclear plants.

Magwood also acknowledged that waste is an emotional issue for communities expected to host it. The government therefore faces a practical task alongside its procurement schedule: developing a waste policy that residents can assess and that project planners can include in their cost calculations.

The immediate milestones are completing the tender rules, appointing PhilATOM's leadership and building regulatory capacity. The proposed auction in June 2027 and award notice in December 2027 would then test whether the country's nuclear ambitions are moving toward projects with defined developers, schedules and obligations.

The Bottom Line

• The Philippines retains a target of 1,200 MW of nuclear capacity in 2032, but Magwood considers that deadline unlikely.
• The draft tender envisages first electricity deliveries in 2038, with further deliveries through 2047.
• The DOE's September statement targets 2,400 MW by 2035 and 4,800 MW by 2050.
• The proposed auction is targeted for June 2027, with an award notice expected by December 2027.
• PhilATOM still needs leadership appointments and completed implementing rules.
• Winning a tender would still require separate nuclear safety authorizations and other permits.
• Public approval reached 82% in 2024, while final waste disposal arrangements remain undecided.