Philippines and US to Sign Civil Nuclear Cooperation Deal at APEC Summit

Manila – The Philippines is set to sign the 123 Agreement, a civil nuclear cooperation deal, with the United States during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s official trip to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco, California. This information was disclosed by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual during an online briefing with trade reporters on Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Pascual confirmed that the signing of the 123 Agreement is part of the agenda during President Marcos Jr.’s visit. Philippine Ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel Romualdez, also verified that the agreement would be signed on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. The agreement, announced during US Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to the Philippines last year, will enable the Philippines to use US nuclear technology for energy security and climate goals, focusing on peaceful uses. The deal creates a legal framework for the transfer of US-origin special nuclear material and the export of nuclear fuel, reactors, and equipment for non-military purposes. US firms such as NuScale Power Corp. and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation have shown interest in building nuclear energy facilities in the Philippines using small and micro modular reactors. Korean nuclear firms, including Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP), are also closely monitoring the agreement’s development, particularly interested in rehabilitating the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). The BNPP, a twin structure of the Kori Nuclear Power Site in Busan, was built using Westinghouse technology from the US. An official from the Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation emphasized the significance of the 123 Agreement for Korean companies planning to revive the BNPP. As of 2022, the US government has civil nuclear agreements with 23 countries and entities, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).