Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Turning hog wastes into profit By Raquel C. Bagnol
WHAT used to be considered as total waste excreted by 15,000 hogs has turned into a profitable venture that means huge savings in electricity and power bills for the Cecilia Stock Farms (CSF) in Barangay Mahayag in the district of Bunawan, Davao City.
At the simple formal opening rites of the biogas plant on December 14, CSF manager Teresita Pascual said the wastes from the hogs produce 300 kilowatts of energy, much more than the 200 kilowatts CSF requires to operate every day.
The biogas system works by trapping methane from the liquid and solid wastes of hogs and converting it into biogas to supply the power needs of the farm.
The hog wastes are directed to a holding pond with a tight cover, and the gas trapped within can generate power.
Pascual said the operation of the biogas plant is also a move to support the campaign for reducing emission of greenhouse gases.
"Methane, a gas coming from animal waste, is 21 percent more potent than carbon dioxide, so when released into the atmosphere, this poses an environmental hazard," she said.
Pascual added that CSF's electric bill used to be more than P300,000 a month, but with the biogas plant's operation, CSF has saved a substantial chunk from that single item. Pascual however said that having the Biogas Plant does not mean they have totally cut off connection with the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC).
"The DLPC is our standby power. When the power supply from the Biogas Plant shuts off, Davao Light automatically turns on to keep the operations going," Pascual said.
Pascual said the idea of coming up with a Biogas Plant was conceived in 1995 but was unable to take off for various reasons. The project became a reality in May this year on a Build, Operate, Own and Transfer (BOOT) plan for a period of seven years.
CSF started operations in 1980. Presently, the company has about more than 150 employees and operates in partnership with the Pig Improvement Company based in the United Kingdom.
It has been observed that the major contributors of Greenhouse Gas emissions are manufacturers of cement, textiles, steel and fertilizers. The major gases emitted by these industries are methane, nitrous oxide, hydro fluro carbons, which directly deplete the ozone layer.
Councilor Leo Avila III, council committee chair on environment, said that the opening of the biogas plant at the CSF is the committee's business response to address the issue of climate change to support the campaign for reduction of emission of greenhouse gases.
Avila said Filipinos have to act fast because the Philippines is vulnerable to the effects of greenhouse gasses as about 80 percent of the population lives along a 50-kilometer coastline.
The opening of the plant in Mahayag coincided with the observance of the climate change awareness week in Davao City last month.
