Meralco ‘wrapping up’ feasibility study on nuclear power development

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is about to conclude its feasibility study on nuclear power development in the Philippines.

At  the company’s annual stockholders meeting on Tuesday, Meralco Chief Operating Officer Ronnie Aperocho said, “We're already wrapping up the feasibility study for the development of a micro-modular reactor with the US-based Ultrasafe Nuclear Corporation.”

In November last year, Meralco and Ultrasafe signed a cooperative agreement to study the potential deployment of one or more micro-modular reactor energy systems in the Philippines.

“As we deep dive into the safety, financial, and site selection parameters, our goal is to build a micro-modular reactor with a capacity of five to 15 megawatts,” Aperocho said.

Meralco Chairman Manuel Pangilinan earlier said that micro-modular reactor technology can be deployed in island provinces.

“So in view of this, we're building the capabilities for the development, execution, and operation of a micro-modular reactor through the Filipino interns and scholars for nuclear engineering… and for the pilot batch, we're sending five Meralco engineers,” Aperocho said.

“These scholars are expected to return to the country in 2027 and 2028 and be reintegrated as part of our nuclear energy project by that time,” he added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News