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With the passing of the Renewable Energy Bill, there are now many institutions, private and public, who want to take advantage of the opportunity to tap into alternative sources of energy. In line with this, independent power producer Asea One Power Corporation (AOPC) announced recently its plan to invest P3 billion in a project that will convert energy using agricultural wastes like rice stalks and husks.

And to host this project will be Panay Islands, where there are plenty of unutilized sources of agricultural wastes. This project will further boost the use of renewable sources of energy and address the looming power supply shortage in Western Visayas.

The power plants that will be put up on Panay and Guimaras will produce a total of 25 megawatts of energy from agricultural wastes. AOPC president and chief executive officer Paul Rodriguez said they were aiming to start commercial production by January 2011. “Our vision is for a clean and green Panay and Guimaras Island within the framework of the region’s available indigenous resources of biomass feed stock,” Rodriguez said during the signing of the power supply agreement between the AOPC and the electric cooperatives in Panay and Guimaras.

The plants will utilize and produce energy from rice husks and rice stalks, as well as wood chips such as sibucao, madre de cacao, bagasse from muscovado and coconut husks. Rodriguez said that their plants are designed to have individual capacities ranging from 2.5 to 5 megawatts. They would provide additional base load supply to the Panay-Guimaras Power Supply Consortium.

The members of this power supply consortium includes the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco), Antique Electric Cooperative (Anteco), Capiz Electric Cooperative (Capelco), Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) I, Ileco II, Ileco III and Guimaras Electric Cooperative (Guimelco).

Rodriguez made the announcement after President Macapagal Arroyo has signed the Renewable Energy Act which is expected to boost the development of renewable energy sources and minimize the use of fossil fuels.

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