BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong urged officials of the State-owned Philippine National Oil Company–Renewables Corporation (PNOC-RC) to fastrack the completion of the ongoing feasibility study on the proposed put up of a waste-to-energy plant within the 8-hectare property ceded by the agriculture department to the local government, particularly near the existing temporary waste transfer station.
PNOC-RC executives led by its president John Arenas visited the local chief executive to update him on the ongoing processes needed for the completion of the feasibility study and the documents that must be prepared by the local government while the study is underway.
The projected completion of the feasibility study for this energy project is April 2020 and Arenas assured Mayor Magalong the PNOC-RC is doing its best to complete the study by December this year for the project to start the soonest to help address the city’s garbage disposal problem.
He claimed the winning bidder of the feasibility study is now being subjected to post-qualification by the PNOC-RC after the same was earlier bidded out for the purpose of extending technical and financial assistance to the local government in pursuing the realization of the waste-to-energy project to convert the city’s garbage into renewable energy.
PNOC-RC also entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) as its market for the renewable energy to be produced once the plant is established and operational within the city’s waste transfer station area.
Magalong pointed out the company needs at least 2.6 hectares in the area where the waste-to-energy plant and this will cause the waste transfer station to cease to exist once the facility will be fully operational.
Arenas explained the study will ascertain the feasibility of putting up a combination of waste-to-energy technologies to convert the city’s biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to renewable energy to be sold to the existing franchise holders of power distribution in the city that could result to cheaper power rates depending on the application of the blended rate by the BENECO.
Previously, PNOC-RC entered into an agreement with the local government represented by former Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan for the conduct of a feasibility study on the proposed put up of a waste-to-energy plant within a portion of the 29.11 hectares of the Benguet Corporation (BC) in Antamok, Itogon, Benguet which was ceded to the local government through a deed of usufruct.
The proposed waste-to-energy plant in the city’s waste transfer station area at the Baguio Dairy Farm is projected to produce some 10 to 12 megawatts of renewable energy that may help in provide the existing power distribution company with added sources of renewable energy that could be blended with the power it is purchasing from the Sual-based supplier, Tokyo Energy and Marubeni or TEAM Energy.
By Dexter A. See