Meralco seeks France’s help in deploying big nuclear plants

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) of billionaire Manuel V. Pangilinan is betting big on larger nuclear power plants, particularly the conventional type, as it explores a deal with nuclear powerhouse France.

Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer Ronnie Aperocho bared the group was in talks with the French government for a feasibility study on site selection, specifically for bigger conventional plants with capacities reaching 1,200 megawatts (MW).

The official told reporters an agreement may be reached in “the next two to three months” as Pangilinan ordered the swift finalization of the terms of reference.

Mature technology

Aperocho was confident that tapping the French government could boost Meralco’s nuclear dream since they already have “mature technology,” as evidenced by the 75-percent dominance of nuclear energy in France’s power mix.

He believes this could also allay Filipinos’ fears and improve public perception as France has a “proven safety record.”

The government has yet to decide on the fate of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which was never switched on after construction was completed in 1986 due to allegations of corruption and issues on safety.

The executive noted that other nations banking on nuclear energy include Ukraine, Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, the United States and Canada.

No more coal

“Those are very industrialized countries. We’re not building new coal-fired power plants. [Our option really is] nuclear. We’re just waiting for the legislation, policy and creation of the regulatory body,” he said.

Aperocho said the group continued to look for available technologies that could help the government hit its goal of having nuclear energy available by 2032.

Meralco’s initial target of investing in small modular reactors—which have capacities of 300MW and below—may require more time to materialize amid lengthy regulatory approvals for “a first-of-a-kind” technology in the Philippine market.

He said that before the Philippines can adopt a new technology, it should be operational for 27 months without recording any incident.

The Meralco executive said injecting nuclear energy could be the “ultimate solution” to ensuring a reliable and cost-efficient flow of electricity, given the price volatility of liquefied natural gas and unreliable power from renewables.

“There are challenges along the way. But we just need to understand the technology for us to be convinced that it’s a safe technology,” Aperocho said. INQ