In the latest edition of the i-conNECt: The UP National Engineering Center Free Webinar Series, energy expert Jane Gerardo-Abaya, PhD, spoke on how the Philippines benefits from nuclear science and technology (NST).
She is the president of the Philippine Austrian Cultural and Educational Society. Gerardo-Abaya has been with the IAEA since 1994, and served as director from 2019 to 2023. She served the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation from 1989 to 1993 as part of the Geothermal Division.
In her lecture Nuclear Science and Technology for Philippine Sustainable Development, Gerardo-Abaya highlighted the ways NST contributes to several of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations beyond its application in nuclear power reactors.
She said mutation breeding is one nuclear technology that addresses two key SDGs, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, and SDG 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-being for All at All Ages. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), mutation breeding “uses physical radiation or chemical means to induce spontaneous genetic variation in plants to develop new crop varieties.”
Gerardo-Abaya cited Vietnam and Pakistan as countries that produced new, stronger plants that were developed through mutation breeding. Vietnam was able to significantly improve the quantity and quality of their rice, while Pakistan was able to do so with their cotton crops.
Another nuclear application that contributes to the fulfillment of the SDGs is in industrial radiography. This addresses SDG 9: Build Resilient Infrastructure, Promote Sustainable Industrialization, and Foster Innovation. Industrial radiography is a type of non-destructive testing used in industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, aviation, power generation, construction, and manufacturing.
According to the IAEA, industrial radiography uses X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons to “inspect, among others, concrete and a wide variety of welds, such as those in gas and water pipelines, storage tanks and structural elements. It can identify cracks or flaws that may not be otherwise visible.”
Since industrial radiography is non-destructive and does not directly interfere with day-to-day operations, “it has been reported that there are up to 10% decrease in production costs because you don’t stop the operation. And therefore up to 20% reduction in time for inspections,” Gerardo-Abaya said.
To better inform the country on the benefits of NST, Gerardo-Abaya said academic institutions like UPD can help popularize and demystify NST through public events like the iconNECt seminar/webinar series.
“NST really has demonstrated socioeconomic impacts, but it is important to disseminate this widely for its greater use, because it has to be used by humanity, not only of our current generation, but of the future generation,” she said.
An initiative of the UPD College of Engineering, the iconNECt seminar/webinar series aims to disseminate information and provide a venue for industry, academe, and the government to convene on important issues affecting the nation. It hopes to spread awareness on relevant topics in engineering and how they affect the lives of ordinary people.