Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) is pressing ahead with its 1,200-megawatt (MW) Atimonan coal-fired power project in Quezon as it reviews bids from Chinese contractors for the plant’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) package.

“We closed the bid for Atimonan last week. We received three offers, and we’re now discussing details of the offers from the three bidders,” MGEN president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said in a media briefing.

The Atimonan project had faced regulatory delays earlier this year when the Department of Energy (DOE) recalled its clearance for further review. It was eventually reaffirmed as a committed project after being deemed “construction-ready,” with an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and designation as an energy project of national significance (EPNS). These qualifications allowed it to proceed despite the DOE’s 2020 moratorium on new coal plants.

Looking ahead, MGEN acknowledged the long-term condition set for the plant. “The condition is that by 2050, the plant should be able to fire an alternative fuel. We accept it. Whether we shut down or consider a new fuel is something that we have already considered in our investment,” Rubio said, noting that ammonia has been raised as a possible co-firing option though its viability is yet to be determined.

The Atimonan project, designed as an ultra-supercritical plant, is expected to provide reliable baseload supply for Luzon once operational, complementing MGEN’s wider generation portfolio that includes solar, LNG, and energy storage developments.

During the roundtable, MGEN also reported that it had signed a contract with Chinese partners Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) and SUMEC Complete Equipment and Engineering Co. Ltd. (SUMEC) to build a 49 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Toledo, Cebu. The project, intended to support the grid and improve integration of renewables in the Visayas, will initially deliver 25 MW by mid-2026, with additional capacity targeted for 2027.

Do you see the Atimonan project as a crucial boost for Luzon’s baseload supply, or does it raise bigger questions about the Philippines’ energy transition? Share your perspective and join the conversation. 

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