Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) - September 2, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Local
government units (LGUs) are faced with the challenge of not having enough waste
output in the implementation of the waste-to-energy (WTE) projects even as
government urges the integration of WTE projects in their solid waste
management plans.
In the Forum on Renewable Energy and
Waste-to-Energy Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) hosted by the PPP Center and
Asian Development Bank (ADB) last week, National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) Secretary Ernesto Pernia urged LGUs to invest more in
renewable energy and WTE PPPs.
“Sustainable consumption and
production is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is where
PPPs can further expand their role, particularly in developing innovative
solutions in renewable energy and waste-to-energy projects,” he said.
Pernia said the Philippines has
grown steadily over the past five years, with the demand for energy also rising
rapidly.
From 2014 to 2018, the country’s
total energy consumption has been growing at an average of 4.22 percent per
year. Moreover, under a high economic growth scenario, the country’s energy
requirement is seen to increase four-fold by 2040, by an average of 5.7 percent
per annum.
On the other hand, in terms of waste
generation, the National Solid Waste Management Commission reported that in
2016 that the country generated about 40,000 tons of waste per day. Metro
Manila alone generated over 9,000 tons of waste per day in the same year.
“While we must meet the power demand
to sustain our economic growth, we must also find a way to grow without
compromising our environment and draining our natural resources. This is a
delicate balancing act for the Philippines, a country that has a booming
tourism industry, still rapidly growing population, and also faces not a few
natural disasters every year,” Pernia said.
For its part, the Department of
Energy (DOE) is looking into assisting LGUs in integrating WTE projects in
their programs.
Under the DOE’s jurisdiction, the
WTE technology is included under the scope of renewable energy (RE),
DOE-Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) director Mylene Capongcol said
“RE covers biomass, which in our
jurisdiction, includes waste to energy,” she said. “We’re looking at supporting
some LGUs in their RE planning called localized RE planning. The target is to
come out with support to total electrification program using RE.”
But not all LGUs can just implement
WTE projects in their waste disposal and management programs.
ADB vice-president for operations 2
Ahmed Saeed said the private sector has a critical role to play, working in
partnership and collaboration with governments.
“Some types of renewable energy,
including waste-to-energy projects, are characterized by high investment and
maintenance costs and complex construction issues. The public sector alone
cannot bear the burden. Public-private partnerships in energy – the subject of this
gathering – can allow governments to share the burden of financing and
management. PPPs can be a valuable means to ensure access to affordable,
reliable, sustainable and modern energy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin
Gatchalian said the municipal waste generated by LGUs are not enough to supply
feedstock to WTE projects.
“To be economical, the minimum
[municipal waste] is 1,500 tons per day. Only Quezon City, Manila, and maybe
Caloocan have that capacity. Out of these three, there are no other LGUs with
that capacity. That’s why we have to simplify the process so that private
proponents will be encouraged to go into WTE,” he said.
That’s why the lawmaker filed Senate
Bill No. 363, or Waste-to-Energy Act (WTE Act), which seeks to provide a
framework for the entire value chain of WTE facilities, and ensure the
uninterrupted supply of waste as feedstock.
Under the proposed law, LGUs are
given the option undergo voluntary aggregation of waste materials to be able to
enter into WTE development through joint venture, build-operate-transfer mode,
and supply contracts.
For one, Ormoc City is interested in
investing in a WTE project. Mayor Richard Gomez said funding is not a problem
since they can borrow and forge partnership with the private sector but the waste
generated by the city is not enough to develop one.
“The capacity that they have for WTE
is above 500 MT per day. Most of the cities in the country only have 150 MT.
Even in Ormoc, our land is as big as Metro Manila, but our waste is only 120 MT
per day,” he said.
While the aim of the proposed WTE
Act is a welcome development, Gomez said it would be difficult for LGUs to
aggregate their waste because they have their own agenda or waste capacity
would still not be enough to power a WTE facility.
“LGUs have their own agenda set.
Even if, in our district under my wife Lucy, we have Ormoc City which is the
biggest and six outlying municipalities, we can’t get to 500 MT per day, it’s
still small,” he said.
“The bill proposes a good idea. But
I think it will boil down to smaller capacity. If they’ll be able to have
something like that, we will avail it,” Gomez said.
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