Meralco to send 5 scholars to US, China for nuclear engineering program

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is set to send five engineer scholars to the United States and China, as part of the pilot batch of its  Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) program.

The pilot batch of the two-year program are Amiela Nicodemus and Gener Atienza who are to start the program at the University of Illinois  Urbana-Champaign in the United States of America; and  Kenneth Tulagan,  Mark Justin Salas, and Marc Laurence Ceria who will undertake the program at Harbin Engineering University in China.

Upon completion, the scholars will be sent to nuclear technology companies for their internship, and they will be reintegrated with Meralco and assigned to take on roles in its nuclear power generation unit when they return to the Philippines in 2028.

“FISSION is a major step in accelerating the education and training of technical and regulatory talents in the highly specialized field of nuclear engineering," said Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie Aperocho.

"This manifests Meralco’s steadfast commitment to continuously develop the workforce in the energy sector,” he added.

The program is part of the company’s push for the integration of nuclear power into the country’s energy portfolio. It is overseen by the Meralco  Power Academy (MPA), which was launched in September last year.

"This country—and Meralco—should be prepared for and committed to nuclear energy,” Meralco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manuel V.  Pangilinan said.

“Supporting aspiring energy professionals will help build a talent pipeline of nuclear energy experts, paving the way for a smarter and greener future for our country,” he added.

 The MPA is also set to welcome 21 engineering students in its six-week  Power Camp Internship Program, coming from partner universities such as  Ateneo de Manila University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines,  University of Sto. Tomas, Mapua University, and Mindanao State  University.

They will have their on-the-job training and industry immersion from July 3 to August 13, covering 240 internship hours.

Meralco in May said it was about to conclude its feasibility study on nuclear power development in the Philippines, following a November 2023 agreement with Ultra  Safe Nuclear Corporation covering the study of the potential deployment of one or more micro-modular reactor energy systems in the Philippines.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/908253/meralco-wrapping-up-feasibility-study-on-nuclear-power-development/story/

Meralco constructs, operates, and maintains electric distribution systems in the cities and municipalities of Bulacan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and  Rizal, as well as certain areas in the provinces of Batangas, Laguna,  Pampanga, and Quezon.

The firm counts as subsidiaries and associates Vantage Energy Solutions and Management Inc. and MeridianX  Inc., acting as retail electricity suppliers in Luzon and the Visayas. — DVM, GMA Integrated News