The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Tuesday, May 14, provided a P4.99 million Green Bio-Hydrogen to Energy Laboratory in Cagayan de Oro to help find sustainable energy solutions in Northern Mindanao.
Under the Institution Development Program (IDP), the research facility, which is located at the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, will focus on converting “low-value municipal and industrial wastes” into energy carriers for distributed power generation.
With the guidance of University President Fr. Mars Tan SJ and Project Leader Dr. Shierlyn S. Paclijan, the laboratory is envisioned as a hub for advancing cutting-edge, clean, and non-mass burn technologies derived from municipal and industrial wastes.
DOST underscored that the primary objective of the laboratory is to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen-to-energy technologies in converting waste into power and heat generation.
This initiative, the department also highlighted, aligns with the broader goal of moving towards a circular economy and promoting sustainable development in the region.
“As we work together to become a nexus of innovation in the Philippines, we will continue our endeavor to provide support, not only to groundbreaking R&D and introducing innovation but also to make an impact,” DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) Executive Director Dr. Enrico Paringit said.
Paringit added that this project serves as a “beacon of innovation and progress” in the region as it supports Sustainable Development Goal 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy.