P1.4-B biomass plant to rise in Bukidnon

MALAYBALAY CITY -- Preparation is underway for a P1.4 billion proposed 12MW biomass power plant to be constructed at Purok 2, Dicklum in Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon.

The biomass power plant is proposed by Green Acres Development Energy Corp. (GAREC), whose business office is in Manolo Fortich.

 “The plant will be located on a two-hectare property purchased from the Quiño Family and it is adjacent to the defunct BRCI in Manolo Fortich,” said Deither Hoff Arellano, project development manager.

So far, Arellano said they have no power supply agreement with any power distribution utility.

“We will dispose of the energy to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM),” he said.

WESM is a venue where electricity made by power-producing companies are centrally coordinated and traded like any other commodity and prices are driven by the law of supply and demand.

 “Though we will be producing 12MW of power, we will only dispose of to the WESM the 10.2MW because we will be using the remaining power in our plant,” Arellano said.

 He said they will use Napier or king grass as the primary fuel of the power plant, citing a successful biomass plant in Honduras using Napier as one of the sources of fuels.

Arellano said 60 percent of the company is owned by a Filipino family and the 40 percent by a Chinese partner.

He said the project could generate employment and income to the barangay and the local government unit. The company is also obliged to observe its corporate social responsibility to the host locality.

He said they have already contracted 600 hectares of land to be planted with Napier for use of the plant.

 He said the barangay council of Dickilum and the Sangguniang Bayan of Manolo Fortich have passed resolutions endorsing the project.

Arellano appeared before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last week to seek endorsement for the project. (Mel B. Madera/PNA/re-posted by: Becky D. de Asis-The Redline News Philippines)