Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) is taking new steps to see if nuclear power can work in the Philippines. The country’s biggest power provider is partnering with companies from South Korea to study a new kind of nuclear technology.
The plan focuses on small modular reactors, also known as SMRs. These are smaller and can be built more flexibly than traditional, large nuclear plants. This effort recently got a financial boost. A US government agency gave MERALCO a grant worth $2.7 million, or about 152 million Philippine pesos, to help fund this research into new energy sources.
On Tuesday, August 19, MERALCO announced a new deal with Korean company DL Engineering and Construction. Together, they will study whether SMRs are a good fit for the Philippines. This will include finding possible locations for the reactors and making detailed plans.
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MERALCO officials recently visited South Korea to meet with other companies, including a major nuclear power operator and other energy experts.
The company is also thinking about the future workforce. MERALCO’s training school has partnered with a nuclear graduate school in Korea. This program, called FISSION, will send Filipino students to Korea to study nuclear engineering. The first group of scholars will begin their studies in March 2026.