NEARLY a year after a private firm was given the green light to proceed with a waste-to-energy (WTE) project in Cebu City, the company has yet to secure the necessary approvals for its operation and the Cebu City Government is also not clear yet on its participation in addressing any potential problems that may arise from the operation of the proposed plant in Barangay Guba, according to local officials.
City Administrator Collin Rosell told SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, that the City’s role is just delivering its waste to the facility.
“The City is just being tapped by the proponent to accept and to be aware of the said technology,” he said.
He said what the City is obliged to do under the joint venture agreement is to direct the total garbage generated by the city towards the facility.
Last Sept. 22, Mayor Michael Rama signed the notice of award to New Sky Energy Philippines Inc. to invest P4.8 billion in the construction of a facility that could accommodate 800 tons of garbage.
The WTE facility would burn the collected garbage to produce pressurized steam that would be used to power electric generators. The facility would be able to provide electricity to 40,000 households.
Razilee Ligaray, in-house legal counsel of New Sky Energy, said then that with the notice of award signed, the company now had a year to acquire the land and secure all the permits for the project, after which it would spend another two years building the facility.
City Council’s approval
But Councilor Nestor Archival Jr. told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Aug. 9, that the proposed WTE plant in Barangay Guba had not yet secured the necessary approvals from the City Council and the environmental agency.
Although Archival was aware of the plans for a WTE plant, he said the proponent did not specify the location of the plant.
“If we do not know where, how do we know that the cost presented by the proponent would be advantageous to the City?” Archival asked.
Aside from not presenting it to the City Council, he also claimed that the project has not obtained the required environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which is necessary for any project that has environmental impacts.
According to Archival, the City claimed that the WTE project would be beneficial because the City would only have to pay a certain amount for the tipping fee. However, Archival argued that the City would incur not only the tipping fee but also the transportation fee.
Archival added that the project had not yet been presented to the residents of the barangay.
Rosell said the location was not final because they are considering the objections of other stakeholders, especially the Barangay Guba residents, before implementing the project there.
Requirement
“The proponent is required to present a potential location for the WTE plant. For the City, it is to pose no objection, but rather to accept the proposed location,” Rosell added.
He said the City must ensure that the proponent provides measures that will protect the environment and the residents from any harm before approving the location of any industry that may cause environmental issues.
He said the proponent is obliged to comply with all the requirements in relation to environmental laws and existing regulations.
“All the preparation, installation commissioning, even the investment aspect will be the responsibility of the proponent,” Rosell said.
Rosell said the proponent would be responsible for managing the facility and complying with the environmental laws and regulations for operating such a facility.
The city administrator added that the DENR would have the authority to supervise and inspect the WTE operations, and another agency involved would be the Department of Energy, because they would sell the energy produced from the waste.
“The City by its police power, including its ordinances, will still implement laws towards the said area.” Rosell added.
Efficient SWM program
He said the City needs to have an efficient solid waste management program, and it finds the WTE a good solution due to its advanced features.
“This is one of the technologies that is being considered by the City as a solution to the garbage problem,” Rosell explained.
He said the City did not spend any money for the project because it is a partnership between the City Government and New Sky, the proponent of the WTE project.
“No investment in terms of money, in terms of acquiring lots for that purpose. All will be charged and shouldered by the proponent,” Rosell said.
Waste expense
According to Archival, the Cebu City Government is spending more or less P1.5 million daily to dispose of its collected waste at the sanitary landfill located in Barangay Binaliw.
He said the City collects between 500,000 to 800,000 kilos (or around 500 to 800 tons) of mixed wastes daily, which costs the City P3,000 per ton.
Archival explained that the idea to collect and to throw trash is not really sustainable because it will exhaust the government’s funds.
He said a composting site would be a more cost-effective solution for the City’s organic waste management needs than using a sanitary landfill since the composting fee is lower than the tipping fee of a sanitary landfill.