Business World Online
Posted on February 24, 2014 09:25:58 PM
DAVAO CITY -- The First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Fibeco) has committed to start the operation of three 10-megawatt (MW) biomass power plants in Bukidnon by 2015.
"The three biomass power plants will be located in the towns of Don Carlos and Kalilangan and in the city of Malaybalay," Renato S. Cortezano, Fibeco general manager, said.
Each of the 10-MW biomass power plants will have a total project cost of P1.1 billion, he said.
The Department of Energy (DoE) awarded last September the operating contract that allows Fibeco to proceed with the biomass power plant, Mr. Cortezano said.
The cooperative now awaits the approval of a bank loan before it starts construction of the three power facilities.
"Based on our discussions, we will be able to complete the construction of the biomass power plants in 18 months, so it is safe to say that we will be able to start operation by 2015," he said.
Fibeco is an electric cooperative that serves the power requirements of 12 towns and a city in southern Bukidnon as well as one town in Lanao del Sur.
The Climate Change and Clean Energy (CEnergy) Project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) recently showed that up to 795 MW of power that can be sourced from biomass energy in 15 Mindanao provinces and one city: Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte.
The study, which assessed biomass resources in Mindanao, was based on a survey of processing centers and farmers’ organizations and found out that there are enough sources of biomass on the island.
Among these are rice, husks, straw, corn, corn cobs, stalks, sugarcane, bagasse, coir dust, plantation crops, pineapple waste, rubber and oil palm, among others. Some of these are treated as solid waste in rural areas.
"Based on our evaluation, there is enough feedmill stock in the area for biomass source, which is why we were able to award the contract to Fibeco," Andresito F. Ulgado, chief of the DoE’s Hydropower and Ocean Energy Management Division said.
Any technology relying on biomass is useless without enough feedstock, Mr. Ulgado added.
In Bukidnon, there are at least two sugar mills, Busco Sugar Milling Co., Inc. and Crystal Sugar Co., Inc., making the province a rich source of bagasse. This is the fibrous matter left after the extraction of the juice of sugarcane or sorghum stalks, and it is also currently used for bio-fuel.
However, Mr. Cortezano said these mills make use of their own bagasse by-products, so Fibeco will have to rely on other biomass sources.
Bukidnon is primarily an agricultural province and a major producer of rice and corn.
It is also home to Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Mt. Kitanglad Agri-Ventures, Inc., Dole Philippines, Inc. (Skyland), Lapanday Diversified Products Corp. and Mt. Kitanglad Agri-Development Corp., which produce pineapples and bananas.
The province is also the location of the starch manufacturing Phil-Agro Industrial Corp. and cacao production of Menzi Agricultural Development.
Among the companies with contract breeding and growing operations in the province are San Miguel Foods Corp., Monterey Farms Corp. and Swift Foods, Inc.
The Japanese-Filipino venture Valencia Rubbertex, Inc., which produces rubber boots and shoes for Japan, is also located in Bukidnon. -- C.A. Carillo source
Each of the 10-MW biomass power plants will have a total project cost of P1.1 billion, he said.
The Department of Energy (DoE) awarded last September the operating contract that allows Fibeco to proceed with the biomass power plant, Mr. Cortezano said.
The cooperative now awaits the approval of a bank loan before it starts construction of the three power facilities.
"Based on our discussions, we will be able to complete the construction of the biomass power plants in 18 months, so it is safe to say that we will be able to start operation by 2015," he said.
Fibeco is an electric cooperative that serves the power requirements of 12 towns and a city in southern Bukidnon as well as one town in Lanao del Sur.
The Climate Change and Clean Energy (CEnergy) Project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) recently showed that up to 795 MW of power that can be sourced from biomass energy in 15 Mindanao provinces and one city: Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte.
The study, which assessed biomass resources in Mindanao, was based on a survey of processing centers and farmers’ organizations and found out that there are enough sources of biomass on the island.
Among these are rice, husks, straw, corn, corn cobs, stalks, sugarcane, bagasse, coir dust, plantation crops, pineapple waste, rubber and oil palm, among others. Some of these are treated as solid waste in rural areas.
"Based on our evaluation, there is enough feedmill stock in the area for biomass source, which is why we were able to award the contract to Fibeco," Andresito F. Ulgado, chief of the DoE’s Hydropower and Ocean Energy Management Division said.
Any technology relying on biomass is useless without enough feedstock, Mr. Ulgado added.
In Bukidnon, there are at least two sugar mills, Busco Sugar Milling Co., Inc. and Crystal Sugar Co., Inc., making the province a rich source of bagasse. This is the fibrous matter left after the extraction of the juice of sugarcane or sorghum stalks, and it is also currently used for bio-fuel.
However, Mr. Cortezano said these mills make use of their own bagasse by-products, so Fibeco will have to rely on other biomass sources.
Bukidnon is primarily an agricultural province and a major producer of rice and corn.
It is also home to Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Mt. Kitanglad Agri-Ventures, Inc., Dole Philippines, Inc. (Skyland), Lapanday Diversified Products Corp. and Mt. Kitanglad Agri-Development Corp., which produce pineapples and bananas.
The province is also the location of the starch manufacturing Phil-Agro Industrial Corp. and cacao production of Menzi Agricultural Development.
Among the companies with contract breeding and growing operations in the province are San Miguel Foods Corp., Monterey Farms Corp. and Swift Foods, Inc.
The Japanese-Filipino venture Valencia Rubbertex, Inc., which produces rubber boots and shoes for Japan, is also located in Bukidnon. -- C.A. Carillo source
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