Meralco gets PHP151M USTDA grant for nuclear study

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has secured a PHP151 million (USD2.7 million) grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to fund a feasibility study on the adoption of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the Philippines.

The grant is a key component of Meralco’s Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, which aims to explore the integration of nuclear power into the country’s energy mix in line with government targets for energy security and decarbonization.

“This will be formalized via a signing ceremony very soon,” said Meralco Chief Operating Officer Ronnie Aperocho during the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ 8th Annual Energy Forum.

The feasibility study will evaluate various SMR technologies, with a specific focus on molten salt reactor designs, which offer enhanced safety features and reduced waste compared to traditional nuclear systems.

Although Meralco previously shelved its micro modular reactor (MMR) proposal with Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp., discussions continue with new partners and a local counterpart as part of its evolving strategy.

A foreign partner for the current project has not yet been finalized.

Aperocho attributed the grant award to Meralco’s proactive stance in nuclear development.

“Even without the law, we already signed a lot of potential partnerships and we even sent scholars,” he said, referencing Meralco’s FISSION scholarship and training program, which began in 2023 to develop Filipino nuclear engineers in the United States and China.

The NEST program complements the Philippine Energy Plan 2023–2050, which targets the development of at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power by 2032, 2,400 MW by 2035, and 4,800 MW by 2050 under the Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Scenario.

While SMRs generally produce 300 to 500 MW of electricity, Aperocho said Meralco remains open to developing conventional nuclear power plants, including the potential revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

The Philippine government is simultaneously preparing the institutional and regulatory landscape for nuclear deployment, including plans to establish an independent nuclear regulatory body by 2028.

DOE proposals are also underway to classify early nuclear ventures as “pioneer projects,” making them eligible for investment incentives.

The USTDA grant is part of a broader U.S.–Philippines partnership on civil nuclear energy, which includes a bilateral working group formed to foster industry collaboration and knowledge exchange for safe, reliable, and peaceful nuclear energy use.