WASTEWATER GAGAWING ENERGY? Absolut eyes waste-to-energy development with MVP group

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A waste-to-energy facility development is the latest venture being considered by Absolut Distillers Inc. (ADI) in partnership with a group of Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“We are talking to Metro Pacific, also a group owned by [Manuel V. Pangilinan], to jointly develop in converting our wastewater to energy. They call the company MetPower. This will complement hand in hand with our acquisition of Central Azucarera Don Pedro Inc. (CADP)” ADI Chief Operating Officer and Head of distillery operations Gerardo T. Tee was quoted as saying in a BusinessMirror report.

The venture aims to use the distillery wastewater and convert it to a source of energy, he explained.

“We want to sell our wastewater to make it a commodity. We want to be the first distillery, at least in this region, to make our wastewater a commodity. Our wastewater has high biological oxygen demand and that is equivalent to methane gas which can be converted to energy when you place it in a digester in a bioreactor,” Tee added.

ADI’s current facility has equipment that produces methane gas which is then fed to its wastewater to metabolize bacteria and reduce pollution, resulting in organic waste that can be used to produce energy.

The proposed facility may have a capacity of 3.5 MW.

Meanwhile, ADI is also in discussions with MVP to rebid the assets of sugar milling firm CADP.

“We are talking to MVP about this. We are trying to rebid because the last bid we submitted was quite low. Last time—three or four weeks ago—we submitted I think P4 billion something. I’ve been trying to get CADP for the last two years because it is just adjacent to my plant. Separated lang kami by a river,” Tee said earlier.