MALOLOS CITY (PIA) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has expressed support for the establishment of a waste-to-energy facility in Bulacan to provide a long-term solution to the province’s challenges on solid waste management.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo has assured the provincial government that the agency will give its all-out support by providing technical assistance in the planning, construction, operation, and sustainability.
The project aims to reduce landfill areas, make electricity cheaper through renewable energy, revitalize marine biodiversity, and open more opportunities for livelihood and jobs.
Governor Daniel Fernando has introduced the concept as a result of his official visit to Japan wherein he visited a waste-to-energy facility operated by Phil. Ecology Systems Corporation (PHILECO) and Japanese-firm Kanadevia Corporation.
To replicate this, the provincial government has entered a public-private partnership (PPP) with PHILECO to finance, design, build, and operate a similar facility in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.
“The province cannot forever rely on the limited material recovery facilities, and shall not allow any kind of landfill,” Fernando emphasized.
Once operational by 2028, the facility will have 3,000 tons per day design capacity where up to 90 percent of waste can be converted into electricity and only 10 percent will be for disposal or treatment. (CLJD/SFV, PIA Region 3-Bulacan)
