13 April 2010 in positivenewsmedia.net

Iloilo included in British biomass power investments

The British Embassy in Manila has announced that two British-subsidized companies in the Philippines have agreed to build biomass plants in Luzon and Visayas, particularly in the municipality of Mina, Province of Iloilo to address severe power shortages in these areas.

British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie said the British firms see huge potential for partnership with the Philippines in the environmental goods and services sector.

The embassy has been championing environmental protection and renewable energy throughout the country, particularly in the use of agricultural wastes as fuel of the biomass power plants.

The province of Iloilo is considered as the rice granary of Western Visayas and more than 50,000 hectares of farmlands are devoted to rice production.

The Department of Agriculture said the irrigated lands of the province posted three croppings per year at more than three metric tons per hectare of production.

Agricultural wastes such rice husks and rice straws abound after the harvest seasons and mostly left to rot in the farms.

The province hosts hundreds of commercial rice mills and community-based threshers and millers that produced substantial tons of rice husks every year.

The British envoy identified the British firms as Green Power Panay Philippines Inc. for a 17.5-megawatt project in Mina, Iloilo and another 17.5-megawatt project with Green Power Nueva Ecija Philippines Inc., as subsidiaries of Global Power PLR Corp.

Another British subsidiary, Green Power Bukidnon Philippines Inc. also signed a letter of intent for a 35-megawatt biomass power plant in Bukidnon, Mindanao.