Venture to get power from palay husks

GAMU, Isabela – This central Isabela town, which is a major rice producer, can be self sufficient in energy from bio-waste products, according to a group of Chinese investors.

The Chinese businessmen believe the town can be self sufficient in electricity generated from the tons of palay husks it throws away. 

The group inked an agreement with the municipal government led by Mayor Fernando Cumigad to initially invest in a P50-million plant capable of producing some 400 megawatts of electricity from rice husks.

If successful, Cumigad said, the rice husk-generated electricity will be then sold to commercial electric firms as additional power for the Luzon grid.

Cumigad said the Chinese investors found the rice-producing town very conducive to this kind of project due to the abundant supply of rice husks.

“Unlike in other electricity projects involving rice husks, there will be no burning of the rice husks while generating electricity. Instead a chemical process is to be applied to make it break down chemically and convert to power,” Cumigad said.

The project proponents initially foresee that they will be able to generate around 400 MW for the Luzon grid on a trial or pilot project basis before they would go full blast with the venture.

“There would not be any shortage of raw materials because the plant operators estimate that the number of rice husks being produced in the town is more than enough to support the project,” Cumigad said.

Aside from the foreseen savings in electric power as well as local taxes which the municipality may generate, Cumigad said the town will undoubtedly earn from the project through additional employment for its residents.

The anticipated plant using rice husks is among the efforts by local officials and the National Government to develop alternative fuel sources.

Others are the promotion of jathropa production, said to be the fuel of the future, as well as bio-ethanol production from sugarcane.