NUCLEAR ENERGY PUSH. Manila Electric Company senior vice president and chief human resources officer Edgardo Carasig and executive vice president and chief operating officer Ronnie Aperocho; and KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School acting president Lim Hak-kyu and executive director of Office of Planning and External Affairs Park Soo-jin (from left) during the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony for the capacity building tie-up for the former’s Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition program in February 2025. Under the pact, scholars of Meralco Power Academy will be sent to KINGS in Ulsan, South Korea starting March 2026 for nuclear engineering studies. (Photo courtesy of Meralco)

19 August 2025 - The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will be sending scholars to South Korea starting March 2026 as part of its bid to strengthen its Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition program.

In a news release Tuesday, the publicly listed power distribution utility said officials of its energy education arm, Meralco Power Academy (MPA), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with officials of KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS) to send recipients of Meralco’s Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) program to South Korea for nuclear engineering studies.

It said KINGS has an “industry-integrated curriculum as well as access to live plant data, simulators, field visits, and digital learning environments tailored to nuclear operations and reactor management.”

Part of the collaboration includes MPA hosting more than 20 students from KEPCO-operated Sudo Electric Technical High School in the first quarter of 2026.

The tie-up, formalized in February, also touched on possible collaboration on “smart grid modernization, storm hardening, and energy transition strategies -- particularly on advanced metering infrastructure rollout, grid automation, data analytics, and distributed energy resource integration.”

Earlier, Meralco signed an MOU with DL Engineering & Construction to study the possibility of deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) to the country.

“The MOU covers feasibility studies, site assessments, and long-term strategic planning. Meralco expressed its strong interest in SMRs as a future-ready solution, particularly for off-grid areas in the country,” the press release said.

Meralco officials also conducted site visits and strategic dialogues with its existing partners, such as Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, Samsung C&T Corporation, and LG Energy Solutions, which manages the Namwon Substation, South Korea’s largest Battery Energy Storage System.

“Our strategic engagements in South Korea underscore our commitment to the responsible development of nuclear energy,” Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer Ronnie Aperocho said.

“By partnering with global leaders with deep institutional knowledge, technical expertise and actual experience in operating nuclear facilities, we are building our own capabilities to ensure sustainable and safe adoption of nuclear energy in the Philippines,” he added. (PNA)