MANILA -- Power distributor company Meralco is eyeing going into nuclear power, specifically by using small or micro modular reactors, its chairman Manny Pangilinan said Monday.

At Meralco-organized Giga Summit in Rockwell in Makati, Pangilinan said they would conduct a feasibility study to venture into micro modular reactors (MMR), which are essentially smaller nuclear plants that only need a smaller area and usually are for targeted areas.

“It’s anywhere between 5 to 15MW (megawatts). So if you want a big plant like 150 [MW] you need several of their reactors in one place. It’s really meant for island provinces or island cities, data centers, for desalination,” said Pangilinan.

He said that since it is modular, it’s much smaller and it is also scalable.

He assured the public that safety is a priority, hence the need for a study.

“Chernobyl doesn’t help, Fukushima didn’t help, but we have to consider that because we also are seismically active archipelago,” said Pangilinan.

• Philippines to complete nuclear energy roadmap in 2023: DOE exec

As for the investment price tag and how much the electricity rate will be, the Meralco chief said that will depend on the feasibility study.

“How much it cost? I don’t know. How much it translates to power cost, they haven’t told us yet," he said.

Meralco has launched a scholarship program that will send Filipinos abroad to study nuclear energy in a bid to push for the integration of nuclear power in the country’s energy portfolio.

“Universities in US, Canada, Korea, Japan, France. Those are the countries we intend to send our young engineers to train and be educated in nuclear. Not only for the nuclear production side, but also regulatory side of the business,” he revealed.

A program was also launched to entice Filipino scientists overseas to return to the country to help in the country’s nuclear program.

Meralco is also expanding its renewable energy projects, he said.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said there is a need to be open on other energy technologies to improve the energy mix in the country.

“Diversification of energy sources is key for energy security including openness to nuclear power, particular the emerging small modular technologies,” said Lotilla.

The DOE aims to increase the renewable energy's share to the total energy mix to 35 percent by 2030.

• Meralco unit to invest P18 billion to grow renewable energy portfolio

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