YES, WE CAN REPLACE LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS

YES, WE CAN REPLACE LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS

My dear countrymen, if you are now using Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), have you ever thought that you could probably replace it with a cheaper and better alternative? An alternative that is more environment friendly? Well, I am happy to inform you that the technology now exists to produce either Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) from nothing but sewage, and all we need is the political will to make it happen.

According to some estimates, the Philippines is importing about 938 billion pesos worth of LPG per year, representing about 21 million barrels per year. Based on data available from the Department of Energy (DOE), the retail price of an 11 kg. LPG cylinder costs from 691 to 997 pesos. If each household consumes about 12 cylinders per year, the annual LPG expense per household per year is from 8,292 to 11, 964 pesos. Is that not a good incentive to shift to either LNG or CNG?

Although the process of converting sewage to compressed gas takes several steps, I can assure you that it is going to be worth it both at the household level and the national level. Based on the data earlier presented, the Philippines is importing about 938 billion worth of LPG per year. Can you imagine how much savings that could mean for our foreign reserves? And how much good that could do for our economy?

On the downside, only the eastern section of Metro Manila has an existing centralized sewerage system. However, there are existing systems in private villages such as Ayala Alabang Village, Villamor Airbase Village, Magallanes Village and Greenhills Village. On the upside, there are existing efforts to build such systems in Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City and Puerta Princesa City. With all the politics going on at the LGU level, one good way to tell whether past Mayors have done their jobs is if they have built sewerage systems or not.

For the most part, most cities, municipalities and villages in the Philippines do not have centralized sewerage systems. What are existing instead are individualized “Pozo Negro” systems for houses, apartment buildings and condominiums. Since these individualized systems have no place to go, the only way to pump them out is to use private sewage truck services. The two water service concessionaires in Metro Manila are under contract to provide these services for free.

By design, all sewerage systems are supposed to terminate to a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) where the sewage is supposed to be processed into water, prior to releasing these into nearby lakes or rivers. Some cities like Singapore have managed to process these liquids into water qualities that are good enough for washing or even for drinking. The first step in producing CNG or LNG is to produce the biogas first, from the raw sewage material. After that, the second step is to produce the biogas into biomethane. The third step is to convert the biomethane into CNG or LNG. The fourth and final step is to bottle the compressed gases int cylinders, like the LPGs.

Perhaps as of now, the government has not yet seen the wisdom of producing CNG or LNG locally, by converting sewage to biogas and then to biomethane. Aside from saving money from our petroleum imports, this could also be a matter of national security, because the possibility of foreign wars could lead to oil shortages or oil embargoes at the very least. Even if there will be no such shortages or embargoes, is it not enough incentive to save billions of pesos from petroleum imports? Perhaps it would be a good idea for DENR and DOE to start meeting and planning about this? Your friend, IKE SENERES/11-17-2024/visit my blog senseneres.blogspot.com