Davao City interested in US$1-B waste-to-energy facility

By Jereco O. Paloma
Monday, September 12, 2011

DAVAO CITY -- The City Government here is interested to invest at least US$1-billion for a waste-to-energy facility proposed by a German company to prolong the lifespan of the city's multi-million landfill.

Duterte said two foreign companies, Sinova Capital and Herhof of Germany, have presented to her the technical specification of the facility that they were offering and how the city can benefit from it.

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Based on the presentation of the two firms, the mayor said, Herhof, a German firm gets her initial vote. The facility can generate between 10 to 12 megawatts of power and can be operated under the National Government's renewable energy program.

According to John Nicholson, management consultant of Environmental Business consultants based in Toronto, Ontario in Canada in one of his articles published on solidwastemg.com, he said Herhof method or Dry-Stabilate is unique because of its ability to separate waste into recyclable/reusable components and fuel without having the need to pre-sort the raw garbage.

It also leaves no garbage that will be dumped into landfill.

Nicholson said the Herhof method effectively separates municipal solid waste into glass, a mineral fraction, metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), batteries, and fuel pellets (referred to as stabilate).

Also, another firm has presented a technology which will convert waste into a more useful bricks and hollow blocks.

The mayor said she is hopeful that the entire project will push through before her term ends.

Based on the presentation, Duterte said, she can attest that the technology that the two companies is presenting will benefit the city.

She said she had already endorsed the proposal of the two firms to the city's Solid Waste Management Board who in turn will transmit the proposal to the City Council for the drafting of an ordinance giving the authority to the city mayor to enter into contract with either of the two companies.

Herhof is offering to the City Government a waste to energy facility, which will convert the city's garbage from households, companies, schools, and public markets into energy.

The main reason why the city is ready to invest into such expensive project, Duterte said, is that she wants to prolong the life of the city's P268-million sanitary landfill.

The city spent millions for the construction of the landfill in New Carmen, Tugbok district.

City Councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella, meanwhile, said she is set to go to Germany to personally see the technology that the German investor is offering to the city.

She said she is just waiting for the official go-signal from Duterte for her trip. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on September 13, 2011.