Inayawan Landfill’s Biogas to Power SRP Air-con Supply (May 2006)

By Doris C. Bongcac
Last updated 09:33am (Mla time) 05/31/2006

An accumulating pocket of methane gas underneath Cebu City Inayawan landfill would soon be put to effective use.

City Hall plans to power a centralized air-conditioning system at the legislative building and offices within the South Road Projects (SRP) using methane gas from the landfill.

The project would be realized once Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña gets to commission a team of retired US Navy personnel to help design the system.

“We are getting retired US Navy personnel because they are among the best in the world,” he said.

Philbio, the group’s firm, is helping the city government produce energy from biogas generated by decaying garbage. Osmeña said he met one of the US navy experts through a friend when they were still based in Guam.

The group is now staying in Manila. Osmeña said he is leaving for Manila on Wednesday to meet with them.

“We will evaluate what they tell us. They asked me for a building plan, which they wanted to study,” he said.

The US navy team, he said, also set up the air-conditioning system of five SM malls in Luzon, which resulted in a savings of 22 percent to 25 percent in electricity for the company.

For such a project in City Hall, Osmeña said he is willing to buy brand new air-conditioning units.

“In putting up an air-conditioning unit, you don’t think of the cost of the equipment but the cost of its operation that is more critical,” he said.