Phillipines (original) (raw)
Bioenergy in the Overall Philippine Energy Mix1
2015
The role of bioenergy in the overall Philippine energy mix cannot be underestimated. Data from the Philippine Yearbook 2001 (NSO 2001:14-4) show that total energy consumption in the year 2000 was 249.47 million of barrels of fuel oil equivalent (MMBFOE). Of the total, 49 percent was obtained from indigenous sources and 51 percent from imported energy. While biofuel is an important energy resource in the Philippines (Figure 1), much is not known about it, hence its value and contribution to the economy is not well appreciated. Bioenergy use, production, distribution and trade continue to be an area only few are willing to spend time and effort to understand, reflect and synthesize. What is generally believed is that firewood gathering and charcoal making are the causes of deforestation and water shortage, hence these activities should be regulated and controlled. As a matter of fact, there is not one single agency in the Philippines tasked to undertake, monitor and follow through the...
2010
This Philippine Case Study is part of a joint work program between IEA – Bioenergy Task 31 and FAO on the certification of woodfuel and charcoal production systems. The main assumption of this work is hinged upon the reality that there is a growing demand for woodfuels (charcoal and fuelwood) over time both as a source of household and industry end uses. The general concern is that the increased woodfuel use may cause additional pressure to the already diminishing supply of these resources against the current scenario of deforestation and devegetation on a global scale. The necessity of coming up with standards for sustainable management of the origins and sources of fuelwood and charcoal is a top priority in order to ensure renewable production systems vis-à-vis demand.
Biomass is a renewable and sustainable source of fuel to produce energy, and it can be developed from organic materials like wood and non-wood resources. The study sought to gather data on the annual volume production, annual waste produced and determine the amount of energy that can be generated from the selected biomass resources namely; coconut, corn, rice, sugarcane and wood in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.
Greenhouse gases from biomass and fossil fuel stoves in developing countries: A Manila pilot study
Chemosphere, 1993
Samples were taken of the combustion gases released by household cookstoves in Manila, Philippines. In a total of 24 samples, 14 cookstoves were tested. These were fueled by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene (three kinds of stoves), charcoal, and wood. Ambient samples were also taken. All samples were analyzed for CO 2, CO, CH 4, NzO, and total non-methane organic compounds (TNMOC). Results generally confh-m increasing emissions for most products of incomplete combustion moving down the "energy ladder" from gaseous to liquid to processed solid to unprocessed solid fuels. Although the sample size and number of background samples were too small to give great confidence in the results, extrapolation of the emission ratios (each gas relative to CO2) to global estimates indicates that published global inventories of several gases important in atmospheric chemistry may be somewhat too small for the fuelwood combustion category. When weighted by global warming potentials, the greenhouse impact of the emissions of non-CO 2 greenhouse gases from wood combustion may rival or exceed those from CO2 alone. If verified, this could have substantial implications for energy and environmental policies in developing countries. These tentative findings indicate that more measurements of this type in developing countries would be justified.
Assessment of co-production of alternative fuels in the Philippines
A large fraction of the cost of both bioethanol and biodiesel production has been attributed to the cost of feedstock. Hence process improvements result in only marginal production cost reduction. More efficient utilization of feedstock by producing a second fuel can enable the recovery of feedstock cost. This study assesses the co-production of two alternative fuels from one feedstock. Two production processes are considered: (1) the co-production of biodiesel and bioethanol from copra, and; (2) the cogeneration of bio-oil and bioethanol from sugar cane.
Strategies for Enhancing Biomass Energy Utilization in the Philippines
2001
Land distribution, food security, and a sustainable and affordable energy source are among the most important development issues facing the Philippines in the 21 st century. Biofuel energy development can play a key role in eradicating rural poverty and creating self-reliant communities. A rapidly expanding population and rising fossil fuel energy costs mean increased pressure on the use of biomass resources for energy generation. Substantial investments in research and development are required to expand the biomass supply and enhance energy conversion technology. This report analyzes opportunities for bioenergy utilization in the Philippines. It quantifies the potential biomass resource base, and identifies several uses for biofuel that would increase household energy security, promote self-reliant agricultural practices, and improve human and environmental health. Biomass Resources Several surplus crop residues could be recovered from primary agricultural production or after processing including: • rice hulls (1.5 million Oven Dry Tonnes (ODT)) • sugar cane trash (274,000 ODT) • bagasse (322,000 ODT) • maize cobs (391,000 ODT) • coconut (10.4 million tonnes are available, however utilization is limited by manual labour requirements and poor transportation infrastructure in remote locations) The transition of rural land from tropical forests to agricultural farmland has shifted the biomass resource base. The majority of wood is now obtained from farmlands. Improving agro-forestry systems, increasing tree diversity, and extending tree rotations can help to bring about the appropriate use of woodfuel. Dedicating land specifically to biomass production could increase the amount of biomass available for energy generation and other applications. Napier grass and other perennial warm-season grasses could be grown as energy crops on marginal farmland. The introduction of 100,000 ha of napier grass could generate 2 million ODT of biomass for energy applications. Bioenergy End-use Applications The use of bioenergy in households and in agricultural processing has been the focus of this study. An emphasis has been placed on heating because currently it consumes the most bioenergy and is best suited to the decentralized availability of resources (the economics of liquid fuel and power generation are not as favorable). Household cooking consumes approximately 75% of the total biomass used, and is of considerable importance as there are 13 million families in the Philippines. An economic analysis indicated that the LT-2000 multi-fuel stove for rural households and pellet stoves for urban households (using cane trash or grass pellets) provided the greatest opportunities Strategies for Enhancing Biomass Utilization in the Philippines iv for reducing cooking costs for those purchasing fuels. There are one million households that could potentially be using the LT-2000 multi-fuel stove in the Philippines. The domestic production of 1 million tonnes of fuel pellets (derived from napier grass, cane trash, or wood residues) could enable up to 2.5 million households make the switch to pellet fuel cooking. This could displace up to 2.5 million liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking households, saving 145millionUSannuallyinLPGimports.Agriculturalresiduesandpelletburningfurnacescouldalsoplayanincreasingroleincropdryingapplicationsandotherheatrelatedenergyapplicationsinthefuture.Withcurrentcropresidueproduction,biomasscouldsupplyapproximately160MWofpowerfornationaluse(1145 million US annually in LPG imports. Agricultural residues and pellet burning furnaces could also play an increasing role in crop drying applications and other heat related energy applications in the future. With current crop residue production, biomass could supply approximately 160 MW of power for national use (1% of power by 2004). An assessment of year-round power generation found bagasse, followed by sugar cane trash, to be the most economical options. Fast growing tree plantations and napier grass were slightly higher in cost. The importation of 365,000 barrels of bunker oil for thermal processing by sugar mills could be displaced by about 161,000 tonnes of cane trash (at 26% moisture) which could save approximately 145millionUSannuallyinLPGimports.Agriculturalresiduesandpelletburningfurnacescouldalsoplayanincreasingroleincropdryingapplicationsandotherheatrelatedenergyapplicationsinthefuture.Withcurrentcropresidueproduction,biomasscouldsupplyapproximately160MWofpowerfornationaluse(11 million US in oil imports. Cane trash farming is self-sustaining because improving soil fertility, nitrogen fixation, and water retention enhances crop yield, productivity, and longevity. Trash farming also results in a significant decrease in fertilizer use, which decreases energy input, overall production costs, and fossil energy use [and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions]. Successfully implementing low input trash farming on the 350,000 ha of land currently producing cane could save up to 1.8 million GJ of energy inputs, which would generate 26.5 million GJ of energy (in the form of recoverable bagasse and cane trash) for bioenergy applications. Trash farming has the potential to transform the industry from a net energy importer into a domestic energy producer.
Environmental Sustainability Analysis of Charcoal Production in Mulanay, Quezon, Philippines
Journal of Environmental Science and Management
Global and historical trends show the re-emergence of woodfuels as alternative sources of energy amid concerns over their environmental impacts. Charcoal production, in particular, remains a significant source of indigenous energy for developing countries like the Philippines, where it is perceived as a cause of deforestation and environmental degradation. This study presents a case where charcoal production can be practiced on a sustainable basis by focusing on aspects that affect the environment, namely, wood source, harvesting strategy and production techniques. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions and a survey among charcoal producers in Mulanay, Quezon revealed a preference on hardwoods that produce slow-burning charcoals and other readily-available, usually invasive, tree species. Harvesting strategies include tree felling and pruning and rotational harvesting to allow stock replenishment. Charcoal producers employ an old but simple production technique called ‘bi...