Philippines’ uranium find a ‘vital’ boost for nuclear energy ambitions
Por Sam Beltran — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement The Philippines This Week in Asia Health & Environment Philippines’ uranium find a ‘vital’ boost for nuclear energy ambitions
The discovery of uranium-bearing minerals in Luzon comes as the country explores integrating nuclear power into its future energy mix
3 -MIN READ 3 -MIN Listen
Sam Beltran Published: 10:00am, 1 Oct 2026 Researchers have identified a potential source of uranium in a long-explored mining district in the southern Philippines , as Manila moves to establish nuclear power and expand its critical minerals industry.
The discovery, which could provide uranium for the nuclear fuel cycle if further exploration confirms its viability, was made in the Larap-Paracale mining district in Camarines Norte province, where exploration began in the 1950s.
Researchers from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), the University of the Philippines Diliman and Akita University in Japan confirmed that surface deposits collected from the area contained uraninite as the main uranium-bearing mineral, and that the material could be processed into a product with higher uranium content.
“The findings are vital as uranium may become important in the country’s foray into nuclear energy,” PNRI said in a statement on Friday.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
