Puerto Princesa embraces climate-friendly cities plan, starts biodigester construction

February 14, Puerto Princesa -- Puerto Princesa today held groundbreaking ceremonies for a pioneering $2-4 million biodigester that can provide up to 1-MW of power to fuel the city's growing electric public transport fleet and other public energy needs. The historic event, flanked by an array of electric vehicles and cyclists, brought the city closer to completing what has been dubbed as the first full climate-friendly green loop in Asia.

Designed by the Philippine-based Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC), the project will reroute the city's biodegradable waste streams from sources such as wet markets, food establishments and the city slaughterhouse towards the biodigester.

Based on a build-operate-transfer scheme, the biodigester will promote the decomposition of the city's biowaste, feeding methane to a gas turbine that will power zero emission eJeepneys, and eTrikes, creating what the iCSC calls "a complete green circle". Puerto Princesa is at present considering local bank and financing options for a multi-stage replacement of its fossil-fueled public transport vehicles, including around 4,000 polluting tricycles.

"Local governments are taking action despite the failure of the Copenhagen climate talks. We applaud Puerto Princesa's leadership for demonstrating the kind of determination necessary to make the climate solutions of tomorrow available to Filipinos today," said Red Constantino, director of the iCSC.

The non-burn biodigester is in Barangay Sta. Lourdes, where the 2.7 hectare Puerto Princesa Sanitary Landfill is located. The initial electricity potential of the plant is 350kW based on a daily collection of 21 tons of organic waste, constituting the first phase of the project. Phase two includes activities that can increase electricty generation up to 1-MW.

"Today, we can plan the further growth of commerce, such as an increase in hog farms which before we had to limit because of the city's limited waste absorption capacity. But we can now consider more sustainable industrial development, which means more revenue for the city, more jobs and a greater ability to deploy more electric transport," said Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

"The iCSC calls this Green Nationalism, and Puerto Princesa embraces it," said Hagedorn during the biodigester festivities. "Green nationalism means self-reliance in solidarity with nature. It is the promotion of a type of independence anchored on what Puerto Princesa has tried to practice over the years: to make do with what we have, to live within our means and to develop our industrial capabilities as best as we can without harming ourselves and our surroundings."

The iCSC is a climate policy think tank and developer of community and city-based renewable energy solutions. The proponent of the world-renowned electric jeepneys, the iCSC launched last November the pioneering Makati Green Routes in the country's premier financial district, plied by zero-emission eJeepneys. The iCSC is set to introduce in Makati a third Green Route in the Rockwell district together with a biodigester complement. The iCSC is supported by by the Netherlands-based Doen Foundation. Philbio is constructing the Puerto Princesa plant and is putting together with the iCSC a Makati biodigester option.

For press inquiries, call Red Constantino at +63 917 524 1123 or email redcosmo@gmail.com
Photo: iCSC/Buck Pago

iCSC release

More photos here:

http://www.ejeepney.org/category/image-galleries/gripp-galleries/events/...