PSA FINALLY. After twenty long years of searching for a sustainable renewable energy source, the Pampanga II Electric Cooperative Inc. finally found an authentic solid waste WTE generator capable of developing indigenous and environment-friendly energy purely from garbage. Photo shows (from left to right) Director Marie Loise Ticman Canson, President Rex Recarro, Chairman Lemuelle Luis Ticman (from Green Atom), GM Amador Guevarra, Engr. Joe-Mel Zaporteza and Janet M. Quiazon (fro mPELCO) signing the 20-year power supply agreement.
AMIDST calls for cleaner energy, a Pampanga-based electric cooperative hinted at supplying local households with electricity purely from locally-generated solid wastes come 2024 and beyond as it signed a contract with a 100% Filipino-owned and operated renewable energy firm.
Under its power supply agreement (PSA) with Green Atom Renewable Corporation, the Pampanga II Electric Cooperative Inc.(PELCO II) will be banking on 10 megawatts base-load renewable energy supply in compliance with the Renewable Energy Portfolio mandating electric cooperatives to provide consumers with power coming from renewable energy – in this case, municipal garbage.
Banking on modern-day Biomass WTE Power Plant, Green Atom will be making use of garbage of all sorts as a major component in generating power to light up local households whose electricity is being supplied by PELCO II.
In a statement, PELCO II general manager Amador Guevarra described the signing of the PSA as “historic in many aspects” even as it admitted spending the last 20 years trying the find an authentic and full municipal solid waste WTE generator capable of developing indigenous and environment-friendly energy sources, as required by no less than the Department of Energy (DOE). Guevarra added that their partnership with Green Atom aims to provide relatively cheaper but reliable electricity – at least for the next 20 years for their consumers, cooperative members and other stakeholders.
“The partnership is one for the books. It’s the first time not only in Pampanga, but for the entire Philippines that we have this kind of technology — a Waste to Energy power plant to be located in Pampanga and directly connected to the grid of PELCO II,” averred Guevarra even as he recognized what he described as Green Atom’s “significant contribution” seen to increase their distribution capacity while reducing outages and improving is operational revenues.
As for Green Atom, Lemuelle Luis Ticman in his capacity as chairman of the Green Atom cited the urgent need to gradually veer away from the environmentally-destructive means of generating electricity as espoused by no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his first ever State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July.
“The PSA will affirm PELCO II and Green Atom’s commitment to contribute to climate change mitigation thru the WTE power plant which is loaded with immense Environmental, Renewable, and Health & Sanitation Attributes while providing green energy in the franchise area of PELCO II,” Ticman was quoted as saying.
For Ticman, turning all sorts of local garbage into electricity should be able to address two of the country’s major concerns – garbage and electricity.
Witnessing the PSA signing were officials from the DOE, the National Electrification Administration and the National Solid Waste Management Commission.
