Meralco’s MGen sees firing up additional 100-MW capacity in Singapore
PacificLight Power, a subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), is set to beef up its capacity in Singapore. This will be through an additional 100-megawatt project slated for commercial operations this quarter.
In a recent briefing, MGen said its existing 830-MW combined cycle gas turbine on Jurong Island would be boosted with a 100-MW “fast start” capacity.
The term “fast start” refers to a facility’s capacity to immediately generate and deliver electricity to the grid in minutes.
In May 2024, PacificLight secured the right to build, operate and own a 100-MW power-generating unit in Singapore.
Aside from this, the group likewise won the contract to build a 600-MW gas-fired power plant on the island, a part of Singapore exclusive to the chemical and energy sector.
Expected to be operational by early 2029, the plant will feature “Singapore’s first large-scale” battery energy storage system (BESS).
Power firms have been investing in BESS to store excess output and release it when the grids need a supply boost.
MGen earlier expressed commitment to “investing in state-of-the-art facilities to enhance our competitiveness in the Singapore energy market.”
Its existing generation facility on the island has been providing electricity to about 1.2 million households since 2014.
In the first quarter, PacificLight delivered 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of energy.
Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) has been holding auctions for new power facilities as it anticipates higher electricity demand, especially with the rise of advanced manufacturing, digital economy, and transport sectors.
Electricity demand in Singapore is seen to increase by at least 3.7 percent, hitting between 10,100 MW and 11,800 MW by 2030.
PacificLight Power is a joint venture between MGen and Hong Kong-based investment firm First Pacific Co., with MGen holding a 58-percent stake.
MGen is the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co.
