$250-million waste-to-energy project to rise in New Clark City 

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) supports the proposal to create a $250 million waste-to-energy investment project in New Clark City in Tarlac for its "sustainability," the agency's chief said in a report by ABS-CBN.

The Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation and Plambeck Emirates in January announced the proposal to upgrade its sanitary landfill into a waste-to-energy facility that "will utilize waste as fuel." 

BCDA President and CEO Aileen Zosa said the proposal is a "good fit" for the community's sustainability. 

“We want to make New Clark City a livable, walkable, sustainable, and efficient community,” Zosa said. 

Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga also supported the proposal as this would mean "green investments" in the Philippines.

She added that this would not only generate jobs but also lead to "lengthening the lifespan of sanitary landfills and improving our environmental outlook." 

Proponents earlier said they already submitted their proposal to the BCDA in 2019. 

Plambeck Emirates, a joint venture between Plambeck Germany and the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi, had said the waste-to-energy facility will benefit the country as it generates some 40,000 tons of solid waste daily.

The facility aims to reduce "70 percent the volume of waste" as "existing landfills are fast reaching their limit," the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation said.

Once constructed and fully operational, the waste-to-energy plant can be considered the first in New Clark City and the Philippines. 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 2019 issued an administrative order on waste-to-energy facilities to make sure these will follow emission standards under the Clean Air Act of 1999, Clean Water Act of 2004 and Toxic Substances, Hazardous, and Nuclear Waste Act of 1990. 

Last year, the Department of Science and Technology said it is exploring the use of waste to generate energy, with a pilot project currently setup in Los Baños, Laguna. Environmental groups have said waste-to-energy plants are harmful to public health and the environment.