A three-way goal intersecting on electricity cost reduction, addressing power supply quality, and abating climate change risks has prompted Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. to construct its own biomass facilities, two of which are targeted for commissioning simultaneously around May or June this year.
The first two projects, according to PCPPI Commercial Director Gabby Gabinete, which will service the electricity needs of the soda company are sited in Rosario, La Union in Luzon and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao.
The La Union facility, he said, would be able to yield 1.0-megawatt capacity for the company's use and it commands an investment of $1.4 million.
For the technology being deployed at the facilities, Gabinete noted that they have tapped Indian firm Thermax as systems integrator to ensure that these are all-set for installation once they are shipped into the country.
On the carbon emissions concern which is also being thrown against biomass facilities, Gabinete noted that toxic gases being spewed from biomass facilities are of considerably less amount as compared to oil-fired power plants.
Nevertheless, he stressed that technical studies are currently being undertaken on how to capture the carbon dioxide emissions from their biomass facilities, especially with the proposed use of rice hull as a fuel. The other preferences would be wood chips and other proven and prospective biomass fuel inputs.
Pepsi-Cola said the project is being undertaken with local firm Solutions for Renewable Energy, Inc. (SURE) under a build-operate-transfer agreement.
