With floods once again testing urban drainage systems, the Department of Energy (DOE) is betting on waste-to-energy (WTE) plants in Metro Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao to turn mounting garbage into 170 megawatts (MW) of clean power—and part of the solution to chronic flooding.

In a draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for a special Green Energy Auction, the DOE outlined installation targets of 120 MW in Metro Manila, 10 MW each in Bacolod, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro, and 20 MW in Davao. This is lower than the agency’s earlier plan to generate about 335 MW from the program.

The projects are slated to begin delivery by 2028 and will use municipal solid waste as feedstock from host cities and nearby local government units.

“The Special Auction Round shall be conducted exclusively for WTE Projects employing thermal combustion technology and are RPS-eligible and qualified under Section 6.1 of the GEAP Guidelines,” the DOE said in the draft document.

The plants will process tons of garbage each day and turn it into power for the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids.

Each will operate for 25 years and be covered by a Feedstock Supply Agreement with local governments to ensure consistent waste collection and delivery.

Winning bidders will also be entitled to a Green Energy Tariff, payable on a “pay-as-bid” basis once the facilities begin operation.

The DOE, through its Green Energy Auction Committee, said it is now seeking public comments on the draft TOR, which lays out the auction design, capacity targets, and bidding rules for qualified renewable energy developers.

A pre-bid conference will be held to consolidate stakeholder feedback before the auction mechanics are finalized, according to the draft.

A 2022 DOE study estimated the country’s WTE potential at 445 MW—with 296 MW in Luzon, 76 MW in the Visayas, and 73 MW in Mindanao, depending on waste supply.

There are currently nine registered WTE projects, five of which are operational and generate a combined 9.69 MW of power, including landfill methane recovery, refuse-derived fuel, and biogas facilities.

Four more projects under development could add 127 MW in capacity.

Among the biggest are the 100-MW Manila Integrated Energy Corp. plant in Manila and the 15-MW Lecra-Ecofacility in Batangas.

Outside Luzon, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Tarlac are also exploring WTE projects through feasibility studies and public-private partnerships.