After securing an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) deal for its Toledo coal-fired power project in Cebu, the power generation unit of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) revealed that its Atimonan coal-fired power project in Quezon province drew in three EPC bidders.

In a media roundtable briefing, Emmanuel Rubio, Meralco PowerGen Corp.’s (MGen) president and chief executive officer (CEO), shared that their Atimonan coal project is finally moving forward after months of government evaluation.

“We closed the bids for Atimonan EPC last Monday, last week. We received three offers, and we’re now discussing details of the offers,” he told reporters, citing that these contractors are Chinese companies.

To recall, Atimonan coal-fired power plant had received a go-signal from the Department of Energy (DOE), allowing MGen to develop the 1,200-megawatt (MW) facility outside of the coal moratorium.

This was recalled by the DOE last April, citing further review, as the policy provides exemptions to the ban, particularly for projects that had already made significant progress before implementation.

Atimonan plant was eventually approved as it was deemed “construction-ready,” had secured an environmental compliance certificate (ECC), and held the DOE’s designation as an energy project of national significance (EPNS).

When asked about plans to shift Atimonan plant to a different energy source by 2050, Rubio said ammonia co-firing—intended to reduce coal use and lower carbon emissions—remains uncertain.

“The condition is that by 2050, the plant should be able to fire an alternative fuel. We accepted that. Whether we shut down [Atimonan] or consider a new fuel is something that we have already considered in our investment,” he said. “Now, whether ammonia can be viable by then is another question.”

Meanwhile, MGen’s Toledo coal expansion has secured an EPC, although details remain undisclosed. Rubio said Toledo plant’s 73-MW net output will be supplied to its retail electricity supplier (RES) for the retail market.