Davao eyes WTE plant by 2029

DAVAO CITY — The local government is eyeing completion of its proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) facility by 2028 or 2029, with the project expected to generate about 13 megawatts of electricity.

City Councilor Temujin Ocampo, chair of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, announced the target at the Isyo Karon Forum.

Ocampo said the city continues to work with the Japanese government under an existing memorandum of agreement for the project.

The proposed facility will occupy about nine hectares provided by the city. Construction, however, is awaiting the Japanese side’s completion of the bidding process.

The facility is expected to have a gross generating capacity of about 13 megawatts, with roughly 2 megawatts used for its own operations, leaving an estimated 11 megawatts for net output, Ocampo said.

He added that the project timeline will depend on the procurement and construction process.

The City Council has also approved an P11-million bond tied to the city’s participation in the Department of Energy’s auction mechanism for WTE facilities. The amount is equivalent to about P1 million per megawatt based on the facility’s projected 11-megawatt net output.

“If the city does not win or advance in the bidding, the bond would be refundable. If the bid succeeds, the amount would become a performance bond tied to the project’s completion,” Ocampo said.

He stressed that proper waste segregation will be essential once the facility becomes operational, noting that the plant will require suitable feedstock with adequate calorific value and a relatively dry and combustible composition.

“Food waste, wet materials and certain medical wastes should not simply be fed into the facility,” he said.