Waste processing facility launched, Philippines

The Mundo Verde Corporation, in partnership with the Quezon local government, has officially launched a waste processing facility in Payatas, Quezon City, to turn municipal waste into fuel for use in some of Lafarge Republic’s Inc’s cement facilities.

The Mundo Verde Corp consortium comprises Lafarge Industrial Ecology International SA; landfill operator IPM Environmental Services, Inc. (IPM- ESI); waste management consultancy Basic Environmental Systems & Technologies, Inc. (BEST); as well as engineering consultancy Pennies and Pounds Holdings, Inc.

More than 1500tpd of Municipal Solid Waste is being generated daily within Quezon City alone. The RDF facility is expected to process approximately 30 per cent of the MSW in Payatas and yield a significant amount of RDF, which will then be supplied to the Luzon-based cement plants of Lafarge Republic Inc.

The facility, which began operations in January this year, currently produces 50tpd of refuse derived fuel which is  expected to rise to 150tpd, BusinessWorld quoted Mundo Verde operations manager James Richards as saying.

The RDF project was conceived as part of Lafarge’s sustainability ambition to increase its use of alternative fuel through use of RDF from municipal solid waste. Lafarge Republic President Renato C Sunico, said that 25 per cent of the company’s fuel is made up for of alternative fuels such as rise husks, discarded plastic and sludge. "RDF comprises 5-10 per cent of our alternative fuel use," he added.