Power retailer Manila Electric Co. is in talks with a US nuclear power company to help firm up its plans in the Philippines.
Meralco chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said a US nuclear firm visited the company for two to three months to discuss a possible collaboration.
“It was a very productive visit, and one of the things we wanted to do with them was first send a team to Seattle and the University of Illinois. They have a working plant in the campus and see how it operates,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan said if Meralco would develop a nuclear facility, the US firm would probably build it.
“So at least we could have a taste of how we can build it and operate it,” he said.
“That’s the progress. We still have to schedule a trip to the States and coordinate with them to get that going,” the executive said.
Pangilinan did not name the company, but said they have a non-disclosure agreement with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp.
Ultra Safe announced in 2020 that it would construct a micro modular reactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“This is a long-term solution, at least a few years away from commercial production of nuclear plants,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan earlier said Meralco was keeping a “vigilant watch” on nuclear power developments as the company studies nuclear power’s role in sustainability mix.
“The best we can for the moment is to really maintain a vigilant watch over what’s happening with the States but we’re about five to 10 years away from making a decision,” he said.
Meralco previously announced they were looking at small nuclear reactors, which are advanced nuclear reactors with up to 300 megawatts or about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
They are smaller in size than conventional power reactors and easier to install.
Meralco plans to apply for a grant with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency for a feasibility study on SMRs for power generation.
The USTDA links U.S. businesses to export projects by funding project preparations and creating partnerships.
Meralco is studying nuclear power as part of its sustainability strategy through 2050 in the wake of the government’s plan to pursue nuclear power development