Baguio City Waste-to-energy Project Sees Sablan, Benguet As Site

BAGUIO CITY (March 20, 2021) –  Baguio City is looking forward into buying a private property in nearby Sablan, Benguet as the permanent site for its proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, at the heels of financial consideration involved in the earlier identified site in Mount Sto. Tomas area here.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong requested the city’s local finance committee to source out funds for the possible purchase of an 8,000-square meter property in Sablan town where the WTE plant can be established.

He added that the proposed alternative site for the waste-to-energy plant in the city-owned property in Mount Sto. Tomas has financial implications because of the terrain and the need to access road network leading to the area with an estimated cost of around P200 million based on projections from the City Engineering Office (CEO) in the previous years.

Mayor Magalong claimed that social acceptability preparation for WTE project is being undertaken as part of the initial process before an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) is acquired.

Metro Global Renewable Energy Corporation, proponent of the Sablan WTE project, recently presented the results of its pre-feasibility study they conducted with at least 500 tons of mixed waste that can be converted into more than 10 megawatts of renewable energy that can be sold to the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO).

The proponent will be using state-of-the-art technology that is environmentally-friendly with less emissions in the conversion of the mixed waste to quality renewable power while providing a permanent solution to the long overdue garbage disposal problem not only of the city government, but also the neighboring towns of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay (LISTT).

Baguio City had been locating suitable properties for its WTE facility that is projected to become a permanent solution to the city’s garbage disposal woes.

Local governments have been mandated by law to close the operation of their open dumpsites and replace them with environmentally-friendly facilities for the protection of environment and health of the people.

Artemio A. Dumlao

Amianan Balita Ngayon