North Maharlika Energy Proposes P3.2-Billion Waste-to-Energy Plant in Pangasinan
Key Takeaways
- •North Maharlika Energy Corp. has proposed a waste-to-energy facility in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, with an estimated investment of P2.5 billion to P3.2 billion, per documents submitted to the DENR.
- •The planned plant is designed to generate 12 megawatts of electricity and process more than 650 tons of waste daily, with commercial operations targeted to begin by the second quarter of 2030.
- •The facility is intended to help address solid waste management challenges in Pangasinan driven by rapid urbanization and shrinking landfill capacity.
- •NMEC qualified among 11 companies for the Department of Energy's special green energy auction for waste-to-energy projects, which carries a 400-MW target capacity and announced results expected on Nov. 5.
- •The Energy Regulatory Commission set a P9.2959-per-kilowatt-hour reserve price as the bid ceiling, and winning projects under the auction are expected to reach mechanical completion by the end of 2028 and deliver electricity by the end of 2029.
North Maharlika Energy Corp. (NMEC) has proposed building a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility in Pangasinan, with an estimated investment of P2.5 billion to P3.2 billion, according to documents submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The plant is planned for Urdaneta City and is designed to generate 12 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with commercial operations targeted to begin by the second quarter of 2030.
According to the company's filing, the project will occupy a 36,948-square-meter site and is expected to process more than 650 tons of waste daily from Urdaneta City and nearby areas. NMEC said the facility is intended to help address local solid waste management concerns while producing electricity from waste materials.
"The province of Pangasinan and Urdaneta City face mounting solid waste management challenges due to rapid urbanization, shrinking landfill capacity, and the risks of leachate contamination from open waste facilities," the company said.
WTE technologies convert waste materials into usable forms of energy, including electricity, heat, or fuel.
Separately, NMEC was among 11 companies that qualified to participate in the Department of Energy's (DoE) special green energy auction for WTE projects, which carries a target capacity of 400 MW. The auction was held on Oct. 13, and the DoE is expected to announce potential winning bidders on Nov. 5.
The Energy Regulatory Commission earlier approved a green energy auction reserve price of P9.2959 per kilowatt-hour for WTE projects. The reserve price serves as the ceiling for bids submitted under the auction program.
Under the DoE's timetable, winning projects are expected to achieve mechanical completion by the end of 2028 and begin delivering electricity by the end of 2029. The government is promoting WTE development as part of efforts to address solid waste management challenges while increasing the domestic power supply.
— Sheldeen Joy Talavera
Source: BusinessWorld
