## Is the Philippines About to Build CANDU Reactors?

The Philippines' Department of Trade and Industry is in active talks with Montreal-based AtkinsRealis over the CANDU EC6 reactor — a heavy-water, natural-uranium design with 31 commercial units already operating globally — as Manila works toward a target of 1,200 MWe of nuclear capacity commercially operational by 2032. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque and Finance Secretary Frederick Go met with AtkinsRealis executives on July 2, on the sidelines of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s official visit to Canada. The Department of Energy has set a longer-term buildout target of 4,800 MWe by 2050.

The CANDU EC6's defining characteristic is its use of natural, unenriched uranium and heavy water as moderator — a significant procurement advantage for a country with no domestic [uranium enrichment](https://smrintel.com/glossary/enrichment) infrastructure. For the Philippines, that means no HALEU supply chain to build, no enrichment services contracts to negotiate, and no dependency on Russian or Western enrichment capacity. That is not a trivial consideration for a Southeast Asian nation building its civil nuclear program from scratch.

The potential sites identified by the DOE in January include Bataan, Labrador in Pangasinan, Camarines Norte, Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Masbate — a geographically dispersed list that suggests the government is not yet close to a site selection decision.

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## What the CANDU EC6 Brings to the Table

The CANDU EC6, as presented by AtkinsRealis to the DTI, has a deployment track record spanning Canada, Argentina, China, Romania, and South Korea, with 31 commercial units built worldwide according to the source material. The technology has also been used extensively in refurbishment and life-extension projects — a point AtkinsRealis likely emphasized, given that the Philippines' Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, mothballed since 1986, has periodically been floated as a refurbishment candidate.

The reactor's on-power refueling capability — meaning fuel assemblies can be swapped without shutting down the reactor — historically gives CANDU units strong [capacity factor](https://smrintel.com/glossary/capacity-factor) performance. For a grid seeking firm [baseload power](https://smrintel.com/glossary/baseload) to backstop variable renewables, that operational characteristic matters.

**The skeptical read:** The CANDU EC6 is a proven but mature design. It is not an SMR — it is a full-scale CANDU unit — and its heavy water requirement introduces a supply chain dependency of its own, even if the uranium fuel is simpler. The Philippines has no existing nuclear regulatory framework mature enough to license and construct a reactor by 2032; that date looks ambitious regardless of which technology is selected.

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## Where This Fits in the Philippines Nuclear Race

The Manila government is simultaneously evaluating multiple technology vendors. [Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power](https://smrintel.com/companies/khnp) has been in discussions with Philippine counterparts over the APR-1400 and smaller variants. [Westinghouse Electric Company](https://smrintel.com/companies/westinghouse) has also engaged with Southeast Asian governments on AP300 and AP1000 opportunities. The AtkinsRealis meeting adds a Canadian option to what is becoming a competitive vendor evaluation process.

The July 2 meeting's timing — coinciding with a presidential state visit — signals that the Philippine government is using diplomatic channels to accelerate vendor engagement, not just technical assessments. That is a normal pattern for emerging nuclear programs: political relationships often precede engineering decisions by years.

The 2032 commercial operations target set by the DOE is, by most industry analysis, extremely tight for a [first-of-a-kind (FOAK)](https://smrintel.com/glossary/foak) nuclear program. Building regulatory capacity, completing environmental and site assessments, negotiating intergovernmental agreements, and executing a construction program within six years would be without precedent for a country with no operating nuclear infrastructure. 4,800 MWe by 2050, however, is a credible longer-term target if foundational work begins now.

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## Industry Trajectory Implications

Southeast Asia is emerging as a genuine frontier for nuclear deployment discussions, with Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines all in various stages of pre-program planning. The region's combination of rapid load growth, constrained land for renewables at scale, and energy security concerns creates conditions where nuclear's [baseload power](https://smrintel.com/glossary/baseload) characteristics are commercially compelling.

For AtkinsRealis, the Philippines engagement is part of a broader international push for the CANDU EC6 following the company's rebranding from SNC-Lavalin Nuclear. A Philippine deployment, even as a long-dated prospect, would represent a significant new market.

For uranium market analysts: CANDU's use of natural uranium — bypassing enrichment entirely — means any Philippine CANDU program would translate directly into mined uranium demand without the conversion and enrichment steps that add cost and supply chain complexity. [Cameco Corporation](https://smrintel.com/companies/cameco), as the dominant Canadian uranium producer, would be a natural long-term supply partner in any such scenario.

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## Key Takeaways

- **Philippines DTI met AtkinsRealis executives on July 2** during President Marcos Jr.'s Canada state visit to discuss CANDU EC6 deployment.
- **The DOE targets 1,200 MWe commercially operational by 2032**, scaling to 4,800 MWe by 2050 — the 2032 date is widely regarded as ambitious.
- **CANDU EC6 uses natural, unenriched uranium** — a strategic advantage for a country with no enrichment infrastructure.
- **31 CANDU units have been built globally**, deployed across Canada, Argentina, China, Romania, and South Korea.
- **Five potential sites were identified in January**: Bataan, Labrador (Pangasinan), Camarines Norte, Puerto Princesa (Palawan), and Masbate.
- **AtkinsRealis competes with KHNP and Westinghouse** in what is becoming a multi-vendor evaluation process.
- **No partnership agreement was announced** — this remains an exploratory discussion.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is the CANDU EC6 reactor?**
The CANDU EC6 is a pressurized heavy-water reactor design developed by AtkinsRealis (formerly SNC-Lavalin Nuclear), based in Montreal. It uses natural, unenriched uranium as fuel and heavy water as both moderator and coolant. According to DTI, 31 commercial CANDU reactors have been built in countries including Canada, Argentina, China, Romania, and South Korea.

**Why does the Philippines want nuclear power?**
The Philippine Department of Energy is pursuing nuclear as part of its long-term energy mix to provide reliable baseload generation. The DOE has set targets of 1,200 MWe commercially operational by 2032, growing to 4,800 MWe by 2050, to support industrial growth and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

**What sites is the Philippines considering for nuclear plants?**
The DOE identified five potential sites in January 2026: Bataan, Labrador in Pangasinan, Camarines Norte, Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Masbate. No final site selection has been made.

**Is CANDU the only technology the Philippines is evaluating?**
No. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Westinghouse Electric Company have also engaged with the Philippines on reactor technology. The AtkinsRealis meeting adds a Canadian option to what appears to be a competitive multi-vendor evaluation.

**What advantage does CANDU's natural uranium fuel offer the Philippines?**
Because CANDU reactors run on unenriched, natural uranium, the Philippines would not need to develop or contract uranium enrichment services — simplifying fuel supply chains and reducing dependency on enrichment infrastructure concentrated in Russia, Europe, and the United States.