The National Power Corp. (Napocor) and the EU-Philippines Green Economy Partnership have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct a study on converting water hyacinth into biomethane for renewable energy (RE).
Supported by the P3.67-billion EU-Philippines Green Economy Partnership, ‘Project Lily’ aims to convert invasive water hyacinths from Napocor hydroelectric facilities into sustainable RE.
Napocor said water hyacinth has long posed operational challenges in reservoirs by obstructing water flow and affecting hydropower operations. Project Lily aims to determine whether the invasive biomass can instead become a valuable renewable energy resource that contributes to greenhouse gas reduction, improved watershed management, and energy security.
‘Project Lily reflects our belief that every challenge presents an opportunity. For years, water hyacinth has disrupted our operations, but today we begin exploring how it can become part of the solution.
Through this partnership, we are taking the first step toward transforming an environmental burden into a renewable energy resource and as a potential model that can be replicated in communities across the Philippines and beyond,’ said Napocor President and CEO Jericho Jonas B. Nograles.
A feasibility study will be conducted to evaluate the technical, financial, and regulatory viability of the project to determine if it can proceed to implementation.
Napocor, for its part, will provide access to project sites and relevant facilities, facilitate coordination with local government units and key stakeholders, and share operational and technical information necessary for the successful completion of the study.
Napocor is a government-owned and -controlled corporation mandated to conduct ‘missionary electrification’ in far-flung, off-grid communities in remote islands and rural areas of the country under Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. Through its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG), Napocor fulfills its mandate of powering missionary areas as it operates 272 SPUG power plants in 192 municipalities across 35 provinces in the Philippines.
The EU-Philippines Green Economy Partnership, co-led by the European Union (EU) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is designed to transition the Philippines into a green economy. With EUR60 million grant from the EU, it focuses on advancing circular economy practices, reducing waste and plastics, increasing energy efficiency, and expanding the use of clean energy.
This program will run from 2023-2028 in collaboration with other national government agencies, local government units, and the private sector.