This work presents a methodology to derive explicit multiparametric controllers for nonlinear systems, combining model approximation techniques and multiparametric model predictive control (mp-MPC) algorithms. Particular emphasis is given to an approach that applies a nonlinear model reduction technique, based on balancing of empirical gramians, which generates a reduced order model suitable for nonlinear mp-MPC algorithms. This approach is compared with a recently proposed method that uses a meta-modelling based model approximation technique which can be directly combined with standard multiparametric programming algorithms. The methodology is illustrated for two nonlinear models, of a distillation column and a train of CSTRs, respectively. Crown Copyright (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.