Ward One
Overview
A 100 kW TRISO-fueled research microreactor being developed in the Philippines with the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute through Valar's local arm VARI (Valar Atomics Research Institute), intended for the University of the Philippines Diliman campus as a standalone, non-grid-connected demonstration unit.
Licensing underway with PNRI under the US-Philippines 123 Agreement; supported by a P192M EOS Organization grant. No public construction or criticality target date; the project has drawn opposition from Greenpeace Philippines, while Meralco has opened talks with Valar on a wider Philippine SMR push. As of September 2026 those talks remain non-exclusive: Meralco and Meralco PowerGen formally launched a broader, multi-vendor SMR feasibility study on September 1, 2026 (engineering firm Sargent & Lundy with local partner AMH Philippines, funded by a $2.8M USTDA grant, targeting completion in Q4 2027), so Valar still needs to demonstrate an operational track record to win a role in it.