DICT plans follow-up study on BNPP repurposing

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) plans to conduct its own study on converting the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) into a data center.

“The KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) funded study is expected to be finished by November. There is an ongoing technical study if it can really be done,” DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda told reporters on the sidelines of the general membership meeting of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday.

Mr. Aguda was referring to the memorandum of understanding signed between the Philippines and South Korea in 2024.

Immediately after KOICA’s feasibility study is finished, the agency will conduct its own study as well, Mr. Aguda said, noting that the BNPP is well suited to be converted into a data center.

“The ingredient of a hyperscaler is already there, the infrastructure and it is also a very good location. There’s a free port, fiber optic connectivity around the area and there’s a landing station,” he said.

Mr. Aguda added that the BNPP has the capacity to be converted into a 600-megawatt (MW) data center.

In November, the Department of Energy (DoE) said it remains focused on reviving the mothballed BNPP, although it is also actively studying the feasibility of converting it into a data center.

Last year, Bataan Governor Jose Enrique S. Garcia III floated the data center plan, citing it as a potential draw for investors. — Ashley Erika O. Jose