MEDIA RELEASE
24 June 2013
(Taguig City) The Department of Energy (DOE) has given its go-signal to the operation of a Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Processing Plant in Rizal, amidst the backdrop of a perennial garbage problem in the cities and provinces around the country.
The RDF facility, which will be operated by the Green Alternative Technology Specialist, Inc. (GATSI), is designed to process municipal solid wastes (MSW) into pellets. The resulting RDF can be used as a substitute or co-fuel of coal.
Last June 13, GATSI and DOE held a signing ceremony of a biomass operating contract, marking the formal commissioning of the RDF plant, which is the first RDF facility registered with the DOE. The said project, located in Brgy. San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal, while not generating electricity will nonetheless provide RDF supply to cement producer, Cemex Philippines.
With its registration, GATSI can now avail of fiscal incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, such as seven-year income tax holiday, special income tax rate of 10%, tax exemptions from income generated from carbon credits, zero value-added tax, duty-free importation of RE equipment and machinery, among others.
GATSI is a trilateral partnership among the International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist, Inc. (ISWIMS), Cemex, and the Green Siam Resources Corporation (GSR). ISWIMS will supply the raw MSW for processing and Cemex will implement the technology required to consume the RDF at its Solid Cement plant in Antipolo, Rizal.
The utilization of MSW for fuel production does not only reduce the amount of wastes needed to be disposed, but also lessens carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through displaced fossil fuel. Projects like this prove that waste can also be a useful resource after treatment at the same time helps preserve the environment.
To reduce the overall carbon footprint of the industry, the DOE encourages the use of more economical, environmental-friendly alternative fuels like RDF. And with this good business model that recovers energy from society’s waste, the agency hopes to boost the drive towards sustainable growth and development in the country.