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A nuclear power plant that was built in the Philippines but was never fueled up nor run is now a key attraction at a beach resort getaway.
The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear plant built in Philippines, is situated 100 km west of Manila.
Built in the ’70s, the nuclear power plant was never completed due to public opposition. Faced with an idle piece of property and seeking ways to generate revenue from the facility, the Philippine’s National Power Corporation, which manages the facility, decided to use the plant and beach it is situated on as a tourist destination.
As well as going for a tour of the plant itself—which features some very old technology—tourists can visit the WestNuk Beach Cove. There is a clubhouse, along with billiards, darts, table tennis, a basketball court and karaoke.
National Geographic ran an image gallery of the resort.
Deposed President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the plant be built in 1973 after the oil crisis left the country scrambling for alternative electricity sources.
Construction stopped in 1976 after the Three Mile Island incident created second thoughts. Significant safety defects and geological problems cropped up and caused the whole facility to be scuttled.
Construction cost was US$2.3 billion, a debt the Philippines finished paying off April 2007. The site still requires a hefty maintenance bill of about $1 million annually.
The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was turned into a beach resort in May 2011.
View Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in a larger map
Picture of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is from the Batann National High School
2 Comments
Lbonde
I felt compelled to click on this. Now I am speechless; other than to say exploitive world tyrants such as Marcos plus their Philippine National Power Commission waited 34 years and 34 million dollars later to turn it into a beach ????
This government rank stupidity reminds me, as a Canadian, of our provincial Quebec government that put up an olympic stadium in 1976 with a retractable roof costing 264 millions(double the original cost) with several roofs afterwards collapsing; it is still boarded up & dysfunctional.
We just blew another 300 million for a new steel roof because it would cost 700 million more to blow the whole thing up. Actually- that stupidity emerged after we built a subway extension underneath the defunct stadium & would have to remove the stadium concrete slab by concrete slab in case the ground sunk …
Government stupidity abounds world-wide; you & I pay with increased taxes & so do our children. No government official was ever prosecuted in Quebec. Everybody kept their jobs.
caravan parks
Not a bad idea at all. They just have to make sure there is absolutely no traces of any hazardous material left.