Meralco unit scaling up LNG operations in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines — Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), a key force behind the multibillion-dollar power venture in Batangas, is “steadily” scaling up its liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations in Singapore.

In a press briefing, MGen president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said Singapore-based unit PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd. (PLP) is on track to operate a 100-megawatt (MW) fast start generator this quarter.

The project is an expansion of PLP’s existing 830-MW combined cycle gas turbine facility, which utilizes gas and steam to produce electricity.

Upon completion, Rubio said the new plant would be capable of providing dispatchable reserves, or backup power that can be quickly dispatched to the grid when needed.

“While we aim to expand the LNG to power business in the Philippines, we have been steadily growing our LNG capacity outside of the country,” he said.

Apart from its fast start capacity, PLP is also developing a 600-MW gas plant on Jurong Island, a project secured through a Singaporean government bidding earlier this year.

The company, Rubio said, has tapped Japan’s Mitsubishi Power as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the hydrogen-ready power plant.

Scheduled for commercial operations in January 2029, the new plant will feature a large-scale battery energy storage, the first of its kind in Singapore, the official said.

Another unique feature of the facility is its capacity to use at least 30 percent hydrogen from inception, with the potential to burn 100 percent hydrogen in the future.

Rubio has said the investment is expected to address Singapore’s growing energy demand and set a new benchmark for “integrating efficiency and environmental responsibility in power generation.”

PLP is a joint venture between MGen and Hong Kong-based conglomerate First Pacific Co.

MGen, chaired by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, sealed in January a landmark $3.3-billion deal with the Aboitiz Group and business titan Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Global Power (SMGP).

Under the deal, MGen and Aboitiz-owned Therma Natgas Power Inc. acquired a 67-percent equity interest in SMGP’s two gas-fired facilities in Batangas.

Similarly, the energy giants completed the buyout of Linseed Field Corp., the owner and operator of an import and regasification LNG terminal in the province.

As the power investment arm of the Meralco Group, MGen has over 2,400 MW of gross generation capacity capable of supplying baseload, intermediate, peak load and ancillary support to the grid.