Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) opines that in order to achieve 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy by 2032, the sector should be diversified to accomplish this purpose beyond micro modular reactors (MMRs).
In a statement, MERALCO Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Ronnie Aperocho said that it is important to take into consideration other nuclear technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs) and conventional reactors to meet the country’s nuclear target.
“If the government has this plan to have 1,200 MW of nuclear (power) by 2032, micro modular (reactor) is not enough. We need to look into SMR and maybe conventional nuclear,” Aperocho said.
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Clean Energy Scenario 1 outlined a roadmap for the country’s nuclear energy sector, forecasting an installed capacity of 1,200 MW by 2032, an additional 1,200 MW by 2035, and a further expansion to 2,400 MW by 2050.
Aperocho also pushed for the inclusion of nuclear energy technologies in the review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on lawmakers to revisit the law to address high electricity rates.
Meanwhile, MERALCO Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said that the complexity of developing MMR and SMR technologies might delay their deployment until 2032 or even 2035.
Pangilinan added that the challenges associated with developing these technologies have proven more difficult than anticipated, potentially pushing back their deployment timeline.
Meralco is currently in discussions with global nuclear industry players from the United States, Canada, and South Korea to explore partnerships for nuclear energy development in the Philippines.
The company aims to strengthen its partnerships with these countries, particularly in developing local talent for the nuclear energy sector.
