Catanduanes adopts Singapore technology for renewable energy

The island province of Catanduanes in the Bicol region has signed a deal with a Singapore technology group in hopes of addressing its twin problems of waste disposal and energy.

Catanduanes officials, joined by their lone  district Representative Hector Sanchez, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with green energy specialist Opus Energy Solutions Inc. together with Singapore Management Consultancy.

Under the MOU, Opus Energy Solutions Inc. and Singapore Management Consultancy will bring to the province Singapore's emissions standard that maximizes the conversion of solid waste from landfill and other collection facilities into electricity. Its by-products can also be utilized for other useful purposes.

Mr. Rafael Javier Eubra, President-CEO of Opus Strategic Business Group highlighted that their consortium's 36 years of accumulated experience in energy industry, particularly in addressing major energy, waste, and water problems.

"What we want to bring in is a technology that can address a lot of fundamental issues related to the basic necessities faced by the Philippines today," Eubra said.

Eubra claimed that one of the designs of Opus Energy Solution had been endorsed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and has a buyback agreement with National Power Corporation (Napocor).

"We get endorsements from these government agencies. So, with the MOU, we are to build a power plant—a waste-to-energy power plant—in Catanduanes," Eubra added.

The process includes the recovery of solid wastes and transform it into useful energy in the most efficient, safest, and commercially viable way possible.

He added that this environment-friendly facility that will be set up in Catanduanes is different from other power plants that are running on petrol or coal.

"What we use in our power plant is solid waste and convert it to electricity," Eubra said. —Gwen Salamida/LBG, GMA News