Bacolod: This highly urbanized city has leased a 10-hectare property from a private firm for the proposed development of a waste-to-energy (WTE) project in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE). After obtaining authority from the City Council, Mayor Greg Gasataya signed a contract of lease with Forza Development Corp. president Sheryl Chua on May 4.

According to Philippines News Agency, the designated WTE industrial zone, located within the city's sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa, will be utilized for 25 years with an annual rental fee of PHP1.01 million. City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu stated that the DOE will issue the notice of award for the development of the PHP4-billion WTE project, which is set to be the first among local government units in the country. "We are expecting the completion of the project within two years," Chiu said.

Chiu further explained that the city government will provide the land, while Forza Development Corp. will fund and build the facility. He highlighted the benefits for Bacolod, including real property taxes, revenue shares from power generation, and job creation for local communities.

In a separate statement, Mayor Gasataya mentioned that the DOE has yet to determine the specific technology to be used for the WTE initiative. "This forms part of our broader initiative to establish a WTE project in Bacolod. The project will be developed at no cost to the city government. The thrust is to convert waste into energy. As to the technology, we remain neutral at this point and leave it to the DOE to decide," he said.

Last January, Gasataya signed a memorandum of agreement with Energy Secretary Sharon Garin to establish a framework for technical cooperation and coordination between the two parties to advance the installation of a WTE facility. Under the initiative, the city will convert waste into sustainable power, with the potential to generate up to 15 megawatts.