Philippines: Manila Water tests first waste-to-energy project

Philippines: Manila Water tests first waste-to-energy project

Manila Water Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala led the lighting ceremony for
the company's pilot waste-to-energy (WTE) project recently at the South
Septage Treatment Plant (SpTP) in Taguig City.

He was joined by Manila Water President and CEO Gerardo Ablaza Jr., and
members of the Senior Leadership Team and Mancom.

The pilot WTE project is considered as the first ever undertaken by Manila
Water and the first WTE facility in the country that utilizes septage, or
waste materials removed from septic tanks, as a feed source.

Septage sludge collected in the South SpTP, as by-product of treating used
water at the plant, is converted to biogas through the anaerobic-digestion
process and the biogas produced is then converted to electricity.

Manila Water Corporate Operations Group Director Geodino V. Carpio said the
project is a demonstration of the company's "Operations Zero" agenda, an
aspiration denoting zero-cost operations.

"We are always excited when we find ways to reduce expense in terms of power
consumption and volume of biosolids that we need to haul to the province,"
Carpio said.

"Coming up with this project took a number of years of research, testing and
feasibility calculations. On full scale, after this pilot, this facility
will produce surplus power greater than what this plant requires to operate.
Various models are now being evaluated on how we can scale up and
commercialize this system," Carpio added.

The pilot WTE project is a concrete testament to Manila Water's commitment
to integrate innovation in its operations as a way to promote efficiency and
to continuously elevate the company as a world-class water and used-water
services provider.

Once the WTE system operates full scale, it can fulfill more than 100
percent of the power requirements of the South Septage Treatment Plant,
reducing greenhouse-gas emissions of the facility by 267 tons of carbon
dioxide in a year and translating to up to P17-million annual savings for
the company on power expenses.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Link to Original Article:
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/manila-water-tests-first-waste-to-energy-pr
oject/

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com