GRIPP eyes biogas digester for Bacolod
BACOLOD CITY -- Green Renewable Independent Power Producer or (GRIPP) recently wrote Mayor Evelio Leonardia reiterating their commitment to complete the components of the Climate Friendly Cities project of which Bacolod is one of the pilot partner cities.
GRIPP associate Yvonne Castro gave the City Mayor an update on innovative projects that aim to promote sustainable transport and waste management initiatives by introducing clean technologies such as the electric jeepneys or e-jeeps, and a biogas digester facility that shall produce electricity through the decomposition of pure organic waste.
"This is timely given the challenges that have been plaguing the city especially on the waste problem," Castro cited.
In her letter to Leonardia, Castro is very optimistic that once the project is implemented, it shall enable the city's organic wastes, coming from the city's wet market, malls, restaurants, hospitals, pig farms and slaughterhouse, and septic haulers, which constitute 30% of the total city waste, to be properly disposed of and converted into an energy source.
She further said that the facility shall require 20 tons of organic waste per day, and shall provide employment to Bacolodnons who are needed to maintain and operate it.
Castro, on behalf of GRIPP, also updated the city on the just concluded data gathering for the waste resource mapping of the major sources of organic waste of Bacolod City. She said that they have secured the resources, funding, and expertise for the biodigester facility in partnership with Philippine Bio-Sciences Corporation (PHILBIO) who shall be building the said facility in the city.
GRIPP and PHILBIO shall provide training and workshops on proper waste segregation and waste management to all stakeholders that will be involved in the project.
The city government on the other hand shall secure for the project a one hectare land, for usage by GRIPP upon which the biodigester or power plant and depot for the e-jeeps will be built, preferably at no cost to GRIPP or by way of a long-term lease agreement at a reduced or affordable cost.
The city government through the Department of Public Services shall also implement the segregation of the organic from the non-organic wastes and the collection of the organic waste to be regularly supplied and delivered to the site of the biodigester that will provide the power that will charge the electric jeepneys in compliance with the Philippine Ecological Solid Waste management Act of 2000.
Castro also believes that the project's twin objectives of Waste Management and Sustainable Transport will greatly benefit Bacolod City and its residents, in partnership with the City of Bacolod.