By Lydia C. Pendon
ILOILO CITY, July 19 (PNA)– Everything is right on schedule for a joint venture agreement on the P1.3 billion solid waste to energy project inside the city owned Calajunan dumpsite in Mandurriao district here at no cost to the city.
City councilor Plaridel Nava, chairman of the SP committee on ways and means, said the heavy equipment including big boilers and turbines, are set to be sent to Iloilo City by October this year to start installation of the Philippines first solid waste to energy project.
However, Nava admitted that the original signatory of the agreement, Dream Engineering Co. Ltd chaired by Youn Pyo Hong of Gongju City, South Korea with Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, has already expanded operation in whole Asia. The one taking over the Iloilo operation is chaired by Daniel Cheon, also with Dream Engineering.
The joint venture agreement between Iloilo City and the Korean firm was signed last February 5, 2014 at the Iloilo City Hall calling for a pyrolysis and gasification technology designed to last for 20 years. Phase I of the project will cover 1 to 15 years at a cost of P1.3 billion and Phase II covering 16 to 20 years costing P2.5 billion, still at no cost to the city government.
Volume of waste to be processed includes 250 metric tons of garbage per day in the first phase and 500 tons per day in the second phase with an estimated annual gross income of P270 million in the first phase and P540 million in the second phase.
The city will get a share of 5 percent of the gross income per month which is higher in the first phase while 5 percent of the gross income per month which is higher in the second phase.
Nava admitted that he is enthusiastic with the project designed to prolong the life of the soon to be constructed sanitary landfill. The project is expected to help clean the environment of garbage as well as earn money from it.
The whole dumpsite area covers some 23 hectares and the waste to energy project will only take one hectare while the sanitary landfill will cover some four hectares, all inside the dumpsite area. (PNA)