Published : Thursday, February 09, 2012 00:00 Article Views : 214
Written by : THELMA DUMPIT-MURILLO
DTI Secretary and National Price Coordinating Council Chair Gregory
Domingo will create a task force that will study how to bring down the
cost of distribution of basic goods. Domingo said that President Aquino
issued these instructions in anticipation of a possible price hike due
to the tension in Iran. The threat of a disruption in the supply of fuel
is possible if the tension escalates. As it is, the increase in prices
of canned sardines, evaporated milk, coffee and flour have been
negligible with only .26 percent to 2 percent recorded. But like a good
scout, we must be always ready for any contingency.
According to Director Ze-naida Monsado of the Department of Energy,
thirty percent of sea-borne cargo including fuel, pass through the
Strait of Hormuz. Should the problem in Iran escalate, supply will
definitely affected as well as prices. In just two weeks, we have seen
prices go up 7 times. Monsado, however, said that government is not
going to resort to gas rationing just yet. The Philippines has begun to
source part of its demand from Russia but only on a spot basis since not
all of their supply is sourced from the Pacific side. While the Middle
East can handle the situation since not all of their supply passes
through the Strait, Europe may lose around 2.2 percent of its supply
base which they source partly from Iran.
The need to discover new sources of fuel has now become imperative.
Belgian company eNext Environmental Protection and Renewable Energy were
recently in town to introduce to the country and spread the word about
their new green coal technology which provides an eco-friendly
alternative to non-renewable fossil coal fuel.
Green coal technology uses municipal solid wastes from landfills,
particularly the non-biodegradable materials such as plastics to
transform it into fuel. The solid wastes undergo a series of processes
such as grinding, fermenting, and mixing with additives and binders to
produce environment—friendly coal pellets.
Dr. Jozef Vanneuville, in-charge of the technology support and strategic
alliances of eNEXT, said that green coal technology provides a solution
to the solid waste management problem in the country. A green coal
facility can process 400-430 tons of solid waste a day, or about 150,000
tons a year and it can produce 150-200 tons of coal pellets a day or
70,000 tons a year. Each ton of coal pellets can generate 6,388
megawatts of electricity.
Green coal pellet is a better substitute for the fossil coal according
to Dr. Vanneuville because green coal pellets are brittle and can be
easily crushed with less energy than fossil coal. They also emit 45
percent lesser carbon dioxide when burned so they don't harm the
atmosphere. The coal pellets are water repellent and have a higher
caloric value which means they produce a higher amount of heat with the
least amount of fuel. Caloric value of eNEXT green coal pellets can be
customized according to the customer needs.
Green coal technology does not require large investment for
infrastructure since the technology can be integrated to existing
power—generating plants like the Sual coal-fired power plant in
Pangasinan while it may cost $27 million dollars to start a new one from
scratch. eNEXT, through its Philippine representative is offering its
services to local government units, owners of landfills and interested
investors. Ms. Sonia Floresca, representative of eNEXT Philippines said
a green coal processing facility with a 200,000 ton capacity can employ
at least 20 people to handle its operation. eNEXT services include
preparation of feasibility study, design and engineering, installation,
supervision, maintenance, and upgrade of the facilities.
eNEXT's green coal technology received a positive response from the
government. National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) Executive
Director Emelita Aguinaldo said eNEXT's technology provides a solution
to the solid waste management problem in the country at the same time
makes for a good source of renewable energy.
Department of Energy Undersecretary (DOE) Jay Layug was grateful to the
Belgian company for bringing green coal technology to the country. The
next few weeks will be spent on reviewing whether ENEXT's green coal
technology may qualify for a service contract which in turn, will
entitle them to fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. Usec. Layug cited the
need to work out with the Board of Investments (BOI) how to provide
greater incentives for renewable energy projects to attract more
investors to the country. If the Belgians are excited about the
prospects of green coal in the country, shouldn't we be more aggressive
in pushing for it? For middle class families like mine, we cannot remain
complacent anymore about the rising costs of electricity. It simply has
become ridiculously expensive. Are you just gonna grin and bear it . . .
in the dark?
God is Great!
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