Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) is studying the use of ammonia co-firing for a proposed 1,200-megawatt ultra-supercritical coal plant in Quezon province to comply with government decarbonization mandates.
The project, under subsidiary Atimonan One Energy Inc., should transition away from coal as a fuel source by 2050 to meet conditions set by the Department of Energy.
The DOE issued an exemption to the national coal ban for the Atimonan project on the condition that the facility eventually be repurposed for cleaner fuel types.
MGen president Emmanuel Rubio said the company had agreed to these terms, noting that the plant would not be allowed to operate beyond the deadline if it continues to burn coal.
“We are not allowed to burn coal as fuel… What are the alternatives? Ammonia. But today it’s still ammonia co-fired with coal,” Rubio said.
He said while pure ammonia firing in a coal boiler does not yet exist, the company expects technology to advance by 2050.
Ammonia co-firing is under evaluation in markets like Japan as a method to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and lower dependence on traditional fossil fuels.
Atimonan One Energy plans to secure an anchor market by participating in the competitive selection process of Manila Electric Co. or a planned baseload auction by the Department of Energy in 2026.
The plant is expected to generate enough electricity to serve 5 million households or 1,000 hospitals, while creating 6,000 jobs during construction and 300 long-term roles during operations.
The move aligns with the broader growth strategy of MGen, which held a combined net sellable capacity of 5,068 megawatts from traditional and renewable sources as of July 2025.
