Rice millers, LGUs bullish on rice husk-fired power plants

Rice millers and chiefs of local government units (LGUs) are looking at the prospects of rice husk-fired power plants to solve their problems on the quality of energy delivery and the disposal of an ever increasing volume of rice husks generated by rice mills.

This was the focus of discussions during an investment forum at the Manila Hotel last Aug. 22, which was attended by rice millers, LGU chiefs, government officials, and representatives of commercial banks, electric cooperatives and non-government agencies concerned with solid waste management and utilization.

The forum was the culminating activity of a PhilRice project funded by the EAEF (European Commission-Association of Southeast Nations Energy Facility) Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. The project surveyed 381 rice mills in the country’s top 20 rice producing provinces and PhilRice researchers used the results in making feasibility studies on the establishment of rice husk-fired power plants in 10 sites.

"You are the people who can make a great difference," EC (European Commission)-Philippines project officer Jose Echanove told the rice millers and other stakeholders.

Rep. Augusto H. Baculio of the 2nd district of Misamis Oriental said that although cogeneration is not being done yet in the Philippines, it should now be adopted as a government policy. To make it more attractive to stakeholders and investors, he said the Clean Air Act must be amended, as the rice husk-fired power plants would use this former waste in producing valuable products - heat and energy.

The Misamis Oriental lawmaker explained that when the Clean Air Act was enacted, open burning was resorted to in the disposal of agricultural wastes like rice husks. In contrast, cogeneration hardly emits carbon dioxide.

He added that more incentives should be offered to attract more investors and push a wider use of agricultural wastes like rice hull. Among them would be lighter requirements in the issuance of environmental compliance certificates and exemptions from several other requirements.

Mayor Alex Belena of San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, who is also a rice miller, said the establishment of a 9.9-MW (megawatt) rice husk-fired power plant in his city "will help us solve our problems like brownouts and outages."

"I am positive we will have the power plant because we have nine big rice mills in Cabatuan," declared Mayor Atanacio Dayrit of Cabatuan, Isabela, who is also a medical practitioner.

He said he has been working on the establishment of a rice husk-fired power plant in Cabatuan since 1992, as "I am aware of the benefits from this wonderful technology."

In Narra, Palawan, Mayor Lucena Demaala sent word that she has already committed an area to be the site for a 1.5 MW rice husk-fired power plant.

"Clearly, this project has shown that rice husk-fired power plants are technically feasible and commercially viable in the Philippines," said Christopher Zamora, co-director of the EAEF Center. — Sosimo Ma. Pablico