A Japanese group is arriving in Bacolod City  on February 3 to introduce waysto improve the capacity of Negros sugar mills to produce much neededpower for the province, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Frank Carbon said yesterday.

The International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer of Japan will hold a one–day forum on Energy Efficiency Improvement of Sugar Mills at L’ Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City, Carbon said.

The Japanesewill introduce technologyto generate excess power to be sold to the electric utility grid, and Clean Development Mechanism opportunities for supplemental financial, and possible funding windows, he said, adding that he has invited Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and other officials of the provincial government to the forum, along with sugar industry stakeholders.

They are also looking into possible funding from the Philippine Sugar Corp. for the venture, Carbon said.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency and Development Bank of the Philippines funding windows will also  be discussed at the forum.

Potential technical intervention areas to improve energy usage in the factory, like the use of high steam boilers and back pressure turbines for process heating and higher power generation will be presented by experts, Carbon said.

CDM is a supplemental financing opportunity for cleaner energy users and producers offered by advanced countriesunder the Kyoto Protocol commitment to reduce greenhouse gasesthat cause climate change, he added.

Japan is initiating another financing CDM window through a bilateral mechanism option, he added.

The use of biomass as fuel, like bagasse, is classified as a cleaner or renewable energy source and qualifiedunder the CDM financing, Carbon said.

The details of this new financing opportunity will be discussed at the forum, Carbon said.*CPG

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