The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has officially launched its Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, a major initiative to reshape the Philippines’ energy future through the adoption of nuclear power.
The announcement was made during the Giga Summit 2025: The Fusion of Power and Intelligence, a two-day event hosted by the Meralco Power Academy (MPA), which serves as a thought leadership and capability-building platform for the energy sector.
Describing the NEST program as Meralco’s flagship effort toward sustainable innovation, Meralco chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan highlighted the company’s commitment to exploring nuclear energy as a long-term, low-carbon solution to the country’s growing power demands.
“Today, we formally launch Meralco’s NEST—our internal program to evaluate what it takes to develop a nuclear power plant in the Philippines responsibly,” Pangilinan said in his keynote address.
The NEST program takes a multi-track strategy to assess the feasibility of integrating nuclear energy into the Philippine power grid. Among the approaches under review are:
- Partnering with global institutions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), as well as nuclear energy leaders from countries like France and South Korea, for large-scale greenfield projects.
- Exploring small modular reactor (SMR) technologies in collaboration with the United States.
- Reassessing the potential revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant has remained inactive for decades.
Pangilinan also shared that Meralco had already established international linkages to support the initiative.
“We’re engaging with countries experienced in nuclear technology. Recently, we signed an agreement with Électricité de France (EDF), witnessed by the French Ambassador. Discussions are also ongoing with the U.S. government on potential technical support,” he noted.
Locally, Pangilinan emphasized the importance of a comprehensive regulatory framework.
“We will need the backing of Congress and the Senate to lay down a national nuclear policy and regulatory infrastructure,” he said.
NEST represents the second phase in Meralco’s nuclear energy roadmap, building on the foundation laid by the FISSION (Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering) program, launched during the Giga Summit in 2023.
Under FISSION, Meralco has already sent five scholars to top institutions such as Harbin Engineering University in China and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the U.S. Once they complete their studies, the scholars will return to Meralco to take on key roles in its nuclear energy projects.
MPA president and Meralco COO Ronnie L. Aperocho emphasized that Meralco’s push into nuclear power is not just about infrastructure, but about preparing talent and developing expertise.
“Through the Meralco Power Academy, we are building a strong pipeline of knowledge and skills to support the future of energy. Our goal is to ensure readiness—not just technologically, but intellectually,” Aperocho said.
The NEST program is expected to guide Meralco and its stakeholders toward a safe, scalable, and responsible adoption of nuclear energy in the Philippines.
Held every two years, the Giga Summit is recognized as a premier event for energy professionals. It fosters collaboration among industry leaders, government officials, and global experts to shape the next era of innovation in the power sector.
