Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) is expanding its Southeast Asian power footprint as its Singapore subsidiary, PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd., broke ground Monday on a SGD 1.2-billion (~PHP 58.7-billion), 670-megawatt (MW) hydrogen-ready combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant on Jurong Island, Singapore.

Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng led senior government and industry officials at the ceremony.

The project combines large-scale gas-fired generation with battery energy storage, a configuration PacificLight says will be the first of its kind in Singapore. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2029.

Tan served as guest of honor at the groundbreaking event on September 28, which was also attended by First Pacific Managing Director and CEO and MGEN Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, MGEN President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio, PacificLight Power CEO Yu Tat Ming and other government, industry and project partners.

The facility, being developed by PacificLight unit PLM Power Pte. Ltd., will be capable of co-firing up to 30% hydrogen by volume from the outset, with provisions to transition to 100% hydrogen in the future. Its integrated battery system is intended to help balance electricity supply and demand and strengthen grid resilience.

Singapore’s Energy Market Authority (EMA) awarded PacificLight the right to build, own, and operate the new generation unit in January 2025, citing rising electricity demand from advanced manufacturing, the digital economy and transport electrification. EMA had projected peak power demand to reach 10.1 to 11.8 gigawatts by 2030.

MGEN Chairman Pangilinan said the project reflects the company’s push to expand beyond the Philippines while deepening regional energy links.

“Through PacificLight, we are proud to contribute to Singapore’s energy security while advancing innovative, future-ready solutions for the region’s energy industry,” he said.

MGEN President and CEO Rubio said the investment combines efficient gas generation with battery storage to support a more flexible energy system.

“By combining highly efficient, hydrogen-ready power generation with battery energy storage, the project strengthens energy security while advancing a more flexible and sustainable energy system,” he said.

The plant will use Mitsubishi Power’s M701JAC gas turbine, which has a combined-cycle efficiency of more than 64%. Mitsubishi Power currently lists the M701JAC’s combined-cycle output at 650 MW to 840 MW and says the J-series has accumulated more than 3.2 million commercial operating hours.

PacificLight’s new facility will add to its existing 830-MW CCGT plant and 100-MW Fast Start Ancillary Services facility on Jurong Island. The latter was completed in 2025 to provide rapid-response capacity for Singapore’s power system.