Solid waste mgt board pushes for waste-to-energy project

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) is seeking the endorsement of the City Council on the Waste-to-Energy Project proposed by Greenergy Solutions Inc. (GSI) that is expected to solve the garbage problem at no cost to the city government.

Atty. Janeses “Jade” Ponce, Representative of Mayor Michael Rama to the board, said it has been more than a month since the board passed a resolution supporting and endorsing the project but the city council has not passed a resolution yet.

Last week, the board formally wrote Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairman of the council committee on environment and member of the board, requesting her to sponsor a resolution that will authorize the mayor to sign the Integrated Waste Management Agreement with GSI.

The board, through its presiding officer, also asked for an audience with the council for GSI to present the project’s details.

Ponce said that the project is worthy of consideration because it will not cost the city government a single centavo.

He also informed the council the concepts of Waste-To-Energy project was already accepted and approved by the council through Resolutions No. 06-3373 dated June 2006 and No. 06-0193 dated July 2006.

Ponce said that the acceptability of the project by GSI is grounded on the fact that this is the first solid waste management and waste-to-energy project registered as Clean Development Mechanism – United Framework Convention on Climate change (CDM-UNFCCC) that involves a local government unit in the country.

This project known as the Cebu City Landfill Gas and Waste-to-Energy Project was approved registration as a CDM-UNFCCC project under Project 4559 on July 18, 2011.

“The project as per UNFCCC findings and validation has been found to be environmentally and commercially viable and the technology to be used is proven globally and complies with the UN requirement under the Kyoto Protocol,” Ponce said.

On March 2008, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued a letter of approval for the project to the UNFCCC.

“For emphasis, this proposal is free. No counterpart funds or guarantee is required from the city government and no tipping fees or any other charges will be subsequently imposed. We have nothing to lose if it fails and everything to gain if it succeeds,” Ponce said.

The proposed WTE project of GSI will not cost the city any money. The proposed agreement is the city will allow the access to the Inayawan landfill for 25 years.

Only four hectares of the Inayawan landfill will be needed for the project. The rest will be cleared of over 1.8 million tons of residual wastes and will be turned over to the city government.

The project will use globally accepted and practiced technologies such as material recovery, anaerobic digestion and gasification. The by-products, which will be sold for revenues, are electricity of about 18-20 megawatts, recycled materials, fertilizer, compost and pellets.

Once the contract is signed, GSI hopes to start operating in six to nine months. — (FREEMAN)