Montalban Methane plans three more power plants

MANILA, Philippines - Montalban Methane Power Corp. (MMPC) is planning to put up three more methane power plants all over the country, a top company official said.

In an interview, MMPC president Peregrino Fernandez said they are planning to construct another methane power facility in Urdaneta, Cebu and Rizal.

Fernandez said the project cost for each methane power plant would amount to about $4 million.

He said at present, the company is working on the permit and financing for the projects.

The company official said they expect to start construction of the additional methane-based facilities by middle of next year.

The projected completion of the projects, he said, would be one year after the construction date.

According to Fernandez, the one that would be constructed in Rizal would expand the capacity of its existing facility in Rodriguez.

MMPC is currently operating a 15-megawatt methane power plant in Rodriguez, Rizal.

In 2009, MMPC started selling power from its Rizal- based methane plant to the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Initially, the plant was able to produce only 1 MW out of the total 15 MW capacity of the plant.

Fernandez said they are now producing 9 MW from the Rizal plant.

In June of 2009, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the supply contract of the two power firms.

MMPC, a joint venture between Tranzen Group Inc. owned by Salvador Zamora II with 60 percent and Carbon Assets Fund of Cayman Island, a majority owned company of United Kingdom-based Carbon Capital Markets, with a 40 percent stake.

The P1.5-billion power plant will recover harmful methane gas from the Rodriguez garbage dumpsite to generate electricity, enabling the company to increase its capacity and alleviate global warming through the reduction of carbon emissions during electricity generation.

The municipality of Rodriguez in Rizal Province contracted Montalban Methane to build and operate the landfill gas-to-power facility in the Montalban landfill which hosts around 1,500 tons of garbage a day.