Baguio eyes Sablan as waste-to-energy site

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government will purchase private property in nearby Sablan town as  permanent site for the proposed waste-to-energy facility because of financial issues involved in alternative site in Mount Sto. Tomas.
    Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong requested the city’s local finance committee to source out funds to purchase of an 8,000-square meter property in Sablan town where the WTE plant can be established for the city government to have an income-generating project.
    He added that the proposed alternative site for the waste-to-energy plant in the city-owned property in Mount Sto. Tomas has financial implications because of the terrain and the need to access road network leading to the area with an estimated cost of around P200 million based on projections from the City Engineering Office the previous years.
    Magalong said social acceptability preparation for the project is being undertaken by the proponent as the same is part of initial processes for issuance of the required environmental compliance certificate (ECC) of the project.
    Metro Global Renewable Energy Corporation, proponent of the Sablan WTE project, recently presented the results of its pre-feasibility study they conducted with at least 500 tons of mixed waste that can be converted into more than 10 megawatts of renewable energy that can be sold to the Benguet Electric Coop. (Beneco).
    The proponent will be using state-of-the-art technology that is environmentally-friendly with less emissions in the conversion of the mixed waste to quality renewable power while providing a permanent solution to the long overdue garbage disposal problem not only of the city government, but also the neighboring towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay (LISTT).
    The city had been locating suitable properties for this facility which is projected to be a permanent solution to the city’s ongoing garbage disposal woes.
     Local governments have been mandated by law to close the operation of their open dumpsites and replace them with environmentally-friendly facilities for the protection of environment and health of the people.