Koreans eye waste to energy project in Iloilo
ILOILO CITY
A Korea-based energy business consortium has offered to sell to the city government here its own modern technology on solid wastes to energy conversion through incineration that is allowable by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
City Mayor Jerry P. Tre?as said the Korean offer includes a feasibility study at no cost to the city; only after the mayor signs a letter of intent of approving the study on solid wastes conversion to energy.
A team of Korean investors recently presented the technology to Tre?as and members of the technical working group (TWG) of the city?s solid waste management board, zeroing on collected garbage at the Calajunan dumpsite in Mandurriao district.
The consortium is composed of four energy corporations based in South Korea headed by Heung-Pyo Lee, president of the Taewoong Energy and Environment Engineering Co. Ltd with Philippine partner Petroxy Philippine Power Corp. through director Neil Javier-Agustin of Business Development and Marketing.
Tre?as said the TWG is studying the Korean proposal in using an incinerator through a stoker of garbage in Calajunan in compliance with the requirements provided in Republic Act 8749 of the Clean Air Act of 1999 ?providing for a comprehensive air pollution control policy? in the country.
Engr. Helen Sotomil of TWG said the Koreans assured of a zero-emission particulates by using a modern technology currently being used in big cities in Korea and other cities in the ASEAN region.
Sotomil said that if accepted by the city, the Koreans will offer a soft loan through the Koexim Bank of the Korean government for the machineries and technology with an interest rate of less than one percent annually, payable in 20 years and with a grace period of 10 years.
The issue on incineration has been clarified by the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau in issuing environmental clearance certificates (ECC) to cement factories in Mindanao also using solid wastes such as plastic discards as fuel to its incinerators, Sotomil said.
The Koreans also offered the same project proposal and were accepted in Baguio City and Boracay. If approved, the project in Iloilo City will be located within the compound of the Calajunan dumpsite.
Sotomil said the project can generate an estimated four megawatts of energy for every 200 metric tons of garbage per day aside from possible income from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) or carbon credits provided for in the Kyoto Protocol.
The city is generating and collecting some 170 metric tons of garbage everyday delivered to the Calajunan dumpsite.
Other municipalities or those within the Metro Iloilo Development Council are also eyeing to dump their garbage at Calajunan, Sotomil said.
The incinerator project will also prolonge the life of the Calajunan dumpsite and will have income from tippings of private corporations and other local government units (LGUs) using the dumpsite.
There will be no need anymore for a huge wastewater treatment plant because what will be buried is only ash derived from the incinerator.
The garbage will be burned everyday with no formation of obnoxious gases, even as the odor would be eliminated. (PNA)
Posted at: 14:24 | Add Comment 
| 
| 
del.icio.us