By Lenie Lectura - April 24, 2018
DEL Monte Philippines Inc.
(DMPI) was able to reduce its electricity cost by 20 percent after it
shifted to renewable energy (RE).
It said on
Tuesday that it has installed a waste-to-energy plant that produces
methane gas from its cannery’s wastewater in Bugo, Cagayan de Oro, and
generates 2.8 megawatts of electricity.
“This waste-to-energy facility takes
over the job done by an equally eco-friendly but power-intensive aerobic
treatment plant, hence reducing energy consumption. This plant reduces the
energy cost of the company by approximately P40 million per year, over
20-percent cheaper than the grid,” the company said.
It also realized lower operating
costs that improved its competitiveness and its ability to sustain
profitability.
Also, the power plant serves as a
buffer against unstable power supply, in times of power shortages, and as a
shield against power-cost increases.
It noted the plant reduced emissions
in compliance with the government’s Clean Air Act. While most
manufacturing companies are carbon positive—meaning they emit more carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere than they absorb—the company said its carbon
footprint is negative.
The waste-to-energy facility is an
excellent model of sustainability from an environmental, economic, community
and governance perspective, benefiting multiple stakeholders simultaneously,
the DMPI said, adding it will continue to seek RE opportunities that are not
only environment-friendly but also cost-efficient. DMPI is the largest producer
of pineapples in the country and, in fact, its vast 25,000-hectare pineapple
plantation and forest areas reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, offsetting any
emissions in the atmosphere. DMPI, a leading manufacturer of food and
beverages, is uniquely positioned among food companies to help mitigate climate
change.
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