Biogas energy: Putting waste to good use
With the progress of developing countries like the Philippines comes the need to utilize limited resources more efficiently. Nowhere is this becoming more apparent than in the area of power generation, where renewables or “greener” energy sources are coming to fore as one of the most viable and sustainable options.
At present, biogas is gaining significance as a renewable energy source, and independent power producers (IPPs) are taking notice of the viability of “greener” energy solutions.
“There is a huge potential for biogas energy in the Philippines,” says Juan Alfonso, chief operating officer of Aseagas, a newly formed subsidiary of IPP Aboitiz Power that is focused on renewable energy solutions.
“Our population of about 100 million is bound to generate abundant biogas resources including agricultural crop residues, animal wastes and agro- industrial wastes. The Philippines’ feed- in tariff allocation right now is 250 megawatts for biomass. Other countries like Germany, for example, have biomass by thousands of megawatts,” he says.
Fortunately, the government has taken the lead in pushing for more renewable energy, which currently takes up about a third of the country’s energy mix. Biogas, for one, is enjoying increasing significance as a viable energy source because of its abundance and minimal carbon emission.
The Department of Energy ( DOE) has stated that the Philippines’ supply of biogas resources has the potential to generate a capacity of 4,450 megawatts, which is equivalent to 40 percent or almost half of the country’s energy needs, if developed.
“Biogas- fuelled engines improve waste management while maximizing the use of an economical energy supply,” explains Alfonso.
Innovative technology
Providing “greener” energy to power the country’s growing energy needs is only half the battle. For Aseagas, equally important is the way the energy is harnessed from the resource – there should be no negative impact to people and environment.
As such, Aseagas ensured to utilize only the latest and very efficient technology available to run the Batangas biomass plant, being its maiden waste- to- energy venture as well.
According to Alfonso, GE’s Jenbacher gas engines are widely used and one of the preferred technologies around the world for producing efficient energy from biogas fuel.
Globally, GE has deployed around 3,700 Jenbacher biogas systems, producing a total electrical output of about 3,000 MW.
Moreover, processing biogas avoids any additional greenhouse gas emissions due to the organic nature of its components.
GE’s Jenbacher gas engines make it possible to generate power from a wide range of gas sources. “These technologies and solutions are part of our company’s thrust toward ‘ ecomagination,’” explains John Alcordo, Asean regional general manager for GE’s Distributed Power business.
‘ Ecomagination’ simply signifies “a commitment to decrease the environmental footprint of our customers and GE’s own operations.”
Being a global company focused on creating innovative solutions to the world’s challenges, GE supports Aseagas’ advocacy in exploring renewable energy options.
“We realize the vast potential of renewable energy,” says Alcordo. “The beauty is in the concept’s simplicity – utilizing commonly found organic waste as sources of generated power.”
Greener energy future
The biogas energy model truly underscores a collaborative nature among the stakeholders involved.
Aseagas chose GE’s technology to ensure that it provides energy for the Philippines in the cleanest and most sustainable manner.
“We chose GE to be our collaborator not only because they assure quality delivery and their Jenbacher gas engines from GE are proven for top- of- the- line reliability and efficiency, but also because we hold the same values as corporate citizens,” says Alfonso.
Alcordo affirms that GE and Aseagas share the same goal of contributing to a sustainable world, and hoped that the venture increases the public’s awareness on how organic wastes can be put to good use.
“This collaboration is furthermore significant to GE because this is our first power generation deal with the Aboitiz group and this is the largest procurement of Jenbacher gas engines in the Philippines to date,” he adds.