Meralco eyeing nuclear power site near Malacañang

By Alena Mae S. Flores – December 21, 2023, 6:05 pm
from manilastandard.net

Power retailer Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is looking at three sites for its planned small-scale nuclear facility, including one near Malacanang Palace, a company executive said.

Meralco executive vice-president and chief operating officer Ronnie Aperocho said the three prospective sites are Talim Island in Rizal, San Rafael in Bulacan and Isla del Provisor located right across Malacañang Palace.

Aperocho said Meralco was studying putting up micro-modular nuclear power plants, with a range of 5 megawatts (MW) to 30 MW on the proposed sites.

Meralco plans to develop nuclear power facilities as stable and cheaper sources of power to diversify the country’s energy sources.

“If there is no issue on safety, you can put it [nuclear] anywhere, even within the Meralco compound,” said Aperocho.

He said Meralco proposed the Isla de Provisor property in Paco, Manila which it acquired in 2021 for P632,162,185 from the government as a possible site.

The Paco property consists of eight separate non-contiguous vacant lots spanning 20,975 square meters.

Aperocho said Meralco focused on the three sites because it is located within their franchise area.

“Actually, the sites that were considered by the Department of Energy before, most if not all of them are outside the Meralco franchise. So since this is a Meralco undertaking, we want it within our franchise. We’re considering at least three sites, but we just have to harmonize this with [Energy] Undersecretary [Sharon] Garin,” he said.

Aperocho said Meralco and US-based Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp. (USNC) had started the feasibility study on nuclear for power.

The parties signed cooperative agreement to study the potential deployment of one or more fourth-generation gas-cooled micro-modular reactor (MMR) energy systems in the Philippines.

The study will help Meralco in critical decisions and potential future activities on project-specific studies and project development plans at identified sites.

Aperocho also said Meralco was also preparing the manpower for its proposed nuclear facilities by sponsoring scholarship programs.

Aperocho said Meralco also received offers from numerous companies on nuclear services.

“There are lots of companies who have competency, long years of history in working with nuclear technology. They are willing…they are offering their services to Meralco,” he said.