Meralco awaits Senate action on proposed nuclear regulatory body

MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) is hopeful that the bill seeking to establish an independent nuclear energy regulatory body will secure Senate approval when the session resumes in June, according to a top executive.

“Hopefully, the nuclear PhilATOM bill will be passed by the Senate by June, as any delay in the enactment of the bill would definitely cause a major backlog in terms of hitting that target,” Meralco Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said during a briefing on April 28.

PhilATOM refers to the proposed Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, which will have regulatory control over all sources of ionizing radiation, including nuclear and radioactive materials and radiation devices.

Under the Philippine nuclear energy roadmap, the government aims for at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy capacity by 2032, scaling up to 2,400 MW by 2040 and 4,800 MW by 2050.

By 2025, the necessary laws regarding the nuclear legal and regulatory framework are expected to be in place.

The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 9293 in November 2023, which seeks to establish the country’s atomic energy regulatory authority and provide a comprehensive legal framework for nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

The Senate began reviewing Senate Bill No. 2498, or the proposed Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, last year.

Congress is currently on a four-month break for the midterm elections and is scheduled for a two-week session in June.

Mr. Aperocho said the Philippines may be running out of time to integrate 1,200 MW of nuclear energy capacity into the country’s power supply mix by 2032, as it would take years to build a plant.

“Of course, building a power plant in the Philippines, public acceptance will be an issue. And, of course, we need to find a place to build it in a way that manages stakeholders… The government is a big partner, a major stakeholder. That’s where we are,” he said.

“Without the PhilATOM bill, I think all we could do is conduct feasibility studies and train our people,” he added.

Last month, Meralco signed a two-year memorandum of cooperation with state-controlled French multinational electric utility company Electricité de France SA to explore the potential deployment of nuclear energy in the Philippines.

The companies will undertake a feasibility study focused on site activities, power system integration, and the economic viability of nuclear energy in the country’s energy mix.

Meralco has been disclosing plans to explore the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) through partnerships with foreign firms. 

“Well, building thousands of megawatts of a conventional power plant is a major challenge, but at Meralco, we are keen on deploying SMRs,” Mr. Aperocho said.

He mentioned that the company is monitoring the ongoing construction of the first-of-a-kind SMR in Romania to follow suit.

“We leave it up to the Department of Energy (DoE) to decide how we can build an SMR. There have been discussions already, but we leave it up to the DoE to take the lead on the first-of-a-kind SMR,” he said.

SMRs are smaller than traditional nuclear power plants, which typically generate up to 450 MW.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera