Waste to power scheme eyed in Baguio as temperature drops

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – This summer capital may yet solve its perennial woes on how to dispose of its waste with a project which would turn trash into electricity.

This is while the city is also hatching its plans to set up a waste-to-energy facility under a private-public partnership scheme which is being considered as a long-term solution to the city’s waste problem.

       

The waste-to-energy technology is still undergoing assessment by the concerned government agencies prior to the grant of a permit to start the project.  The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has required documents from the proponent of the waste-to-energy technology to process its application. 

The final proposal will be forwarded to the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources for the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and other environmental requirements and to the Dept. of Energy for the energy production and sale permits.

Aileen P. Refuerzo of the city information office said the waste-to-energy proposal which was submitted by a private company based in Singapore involves the processing of wastes for conversion into energy through a process called pyrolysis and will not involve incineration.

            

As proposed, the project will be at no cost to the city.  The investor will take charge of locating its own lot, constructing its building and other infrastructure and machineries.  It will oversee the entire operations and will also take over the collection of the wastes from the barangays. 

             

The investor will recoup the investment cost through the sale of electricity it will generate which is pegged at 10-12 megawatts of power daily.  After ten years, the city stands to receive a share from the earnings.  The deal will be for 25 year

This, as the city government requested the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau of the DENR Cordillera to conduct a geological assessment of the site being eyed for the proposed Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWMS) of the city.

            

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said the 22-hectare lot is located in one of the city’s neighboring towns in Benguet.  He did not name the specific location pending results of negotiations.

            

City general services officer Romeo Concio   last Dec. 11 wrote MGB-CAR officer-in-charge regional director Faye Apil requesting MGB for technical personnel to undertake geological study on the lot to ensure its safety.

            

He said the city needs the assessment before it finally comes up with a “plan to consider the place for the city’s ISWMS.

            

Domogan said several assessments and studies have to be undertaken to qualify the site for the city’s ISWMS including tests by the DENR and the National Solid Waste Management Council (NSWMC) to determine its suitability for the purpose.

            

The lot was the latest in a bunch of sites which the city considered over the years in its quest for a suitable location to build its own engineered sanitary landfill (ESL).

            

The mayor said the city hopes to develop the site as its ISWMS station to house its two Environmental Recycling System (ERS) machines which process the city’s biodegradable wastes and its ESL to take charge of the non-biodegradable refuse.

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Visitors and tourists from the lowlands are now coming up to Baguio to experience the cold especially early morning, late afternoon until evening.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration–Baguio meteorologist Danny Galatewas quoted by the Philippine Information Agency as reporting that temperature now ranges from 14 to 22 degrees Celsius though they expect the temperature to drop down to 12 or even 11 degrees this coming week as the coldest season  in the city  is usually  from December   until February.   

According to Galate, the cold weather in Baguio  came earlier than usual  as it started to be felt last  week of  October  instead of the first week of November.

“So far the lowest temperature recorded in Baguio for this year was at 12.6 degrees Celsius recorded last October 27,” he said.  

The lowest recorded temperature   in the city was 6.3 degrees Celsius  on  Jan. 8, 1961.

He said PAGASA still expects to have one or two typhoons before the year ends though with less effect in Baguio and the rest of Cordillera.

With the colder weather, Department of Health assistant regional director Dr. AmelitaPangilinan reminded  the public to protect themselves from the cold and be wary of Influenza-like Illnesses. ILI is also known as acute respiratory infection and commonly caused by common cold and influenza.

DOH-CAR data from January to Nov. 23  showed 3,420 ILI cases in Baguio, a slight increase compared to the 3,212 ILI cases recorded during the same period last year.

She advised the public to always bring  out their  jackets and other clothes that would make them warm, and to boost their immune system by having a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, having a regular exercise, managing stress and  living a healthy lifestyle./