Nuclear power plant tour

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the PhilippinesCBS — CBS/Barnaby Lo

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines was built by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos as a solution to what was then an impending oil crisis. It cost more than $2 billion, was completed in 1985, but up to this day, has not generated a single watt of electricity. It was ready for activation when Marcos was overthrown by a mass uprising in 1986. Not long after, a nuclear disaster at Chernobyl prompted his successor, Cory Aquino, to shutter the plant.

Inside a nuclear power plant

Over the years, the government has spent millions of dollars just to maintain the facility. It would cost a billion more to get the nuclear facility up and running. But Mauro Marcelo, head of the Nuclear Core Group of the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), believes nuclear power is best for the Philippines. It is, according to him, the cleanest and cheapest form of energy.

The government says it's open to the idea of having nuclear in the power mix, but does not see it as a priority. In the meantime, plant officials have come up with an idea to put the facility to use - opening it up to tourists. Students now get to have a rare look inside a nuclear power plant for less than half a dollar. For non-students, the entrance fee is just over $3.

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant's reactor

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant's core reactor — CBS/Barnaby Lo

This is the closest any Average Joe in the world can get to a nuclear reactor - and it's in pristine condition. The uranium pellets that were supposed to fuel the reactor were sold 20 years ago, so there's no danger of radiation in or around the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant's turbine generator

The turbine generator is where steam from the nuclear reactor, which is essentially the source of energy, would go to be converted to electricity. If activated, the plant should be able to supply as much as 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Northern Philippines.

Ready for a call to action

Bataan Nuclear Power Plant — CBS/Barnaby Lo

The power plant remains exactly how it was on the day construction finished. It's one of many remnants of the Philippines during the Marcos era, which was mired in political strife and corruption, but it is remarkably well-preserved. Officials claim it is stronger and safer than the one damaged in Fukushima, Japan. If needed, it can be activated (at a cost of $1 billion for refurbishments) and the electricity produced will cost consumers just over 2 cents per kilowatt.

Educating the masses

Officials say they have opened the plant to tourists not just to generate income, but also to educate people about nuclear power and why it should be considered as an alternative source of energy. Anti-nuclear groups, including Greenpeace, support the initiative, and have actually brought tour groups to the site. They say they also aim to educate people so that they will be armed with the knowledge to decide which side of the fence they're on.

Burn more coal

Philippines power supply — CBS/Barnaby Lo

Electricity is expensive in the Philippines, costing citizens more than anywhere else in Asia, with the exception of Japan. Energy officials have warned of a power shortage as early as next year. But there are no plans to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, at least in the next few years; the government has instead secured investment for as much as 900 megawatts of new coal-fired power plants to satisfy growing demand.