The government is currently building the first waste-to-energy facility I·PARK1 (the first phase of an integrated waste management facility) using advanced incineration technology to treat municipal solid waste next to Shek Kwu Chau, which will be put into service in 2025 at the earliest.
As for the location of the second incinerator in Hong Kong, a preliminary decision has also been made.
The Environmental Protection Department said today (25th) that it had earlier conducted an in-depth study on the possible site selection for one of the waste-to-energy facilities in the central part of Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun. Environmental impact assessment and technical studies.
The initial set processing capacity of the Zeng Tsui incinerator is about 4,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste per day. Together with the Shek Kwu Chau incinerator, the two facilities can treat a total of 7,000 metric tons of waste per day.
In order to achieve the goal of "zero waste landfilling", the authorities further predicted that incinerator projects may come one after another.
The EPD stated that it plans to simultaneously launch a territory-wide site selection study to identify other sites suitable for the construction of similar waste-to-energy facilities, and conduct environmental assessment and technical studies.
The authorities emphasize that modern waste-to-energy facilities will use advanced technologies, combined with appropriate community facilities or green tourism concepts, to bring into play the synergy effect of multiple uses at one site.
I·PARK1 is expected to enter service in 2025 with a processing capacity of 3,000 metric tons of MSW per day.
(Photo by EPA)
The government proposed earlier in the "Hong Kong Resource Cycle Blueprint 2035" and "Hong Kong Climate Action Blueprint 2050" that in order to achieve the goal of "zero waste landfill" and carbon neutrality, in addition to promoting universal waste reduction and clean recycling, Hong Kong must have sufficient recycling. Waste-to-energy facility to treat municipal solid waste and pave the way for additional incinerators.
The EPA said today that I·PARK1 is expected to be in service by 2025 and will be capable of handling 3,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste per day.
The EPD pointed out that Hong Kong needs to keep pace with the times and build further waste-to-energy facilities in order to fully recycle all unavoidable and unrecyclable domestic waste and increase the power and energy generated by waste-to-energy conversion in Hong Kong.
The EPD stated that in addition to promoting universal waste reduction and clean recycling, Hong Kong must have sufficient waste-to-energy facilities to handle municipal solid waste.
(File photo / Photo by Li Zetong)
Site selection for a new incinerator at the coal ash lake in the middle of Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun
The spokesman pointed out that when planning and developing I·PARK1, an in-depth study was conducted on the coal ash lake in the central part of Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun as one of the possible sites.
The EPD will carry out an environmental impact assessment and a technical study on this site in the first half of this year, with an initial set processing capacity of about 4,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day.
Launch a territory-wide study to identify more feasible sites for building incinerators
The EPD also plans to simultaneously launch a territory-wide site selection study to identify other suitable sites for the construction of such waste-to-energy facilities, as well as conduct EIA and technical studies, which will comprehensively consider various factors, including geographical location, availability Land area, environmental impact, waste transportation arrangements, layout of waste treatment infrastructure, etc.
These modern waste-to-energy facilities will adopt advanced technologies and combine appropriate community facilities or green tourism concepts to bring into play the synergy effect of multiple uses at one site, so that the public can benefit more.
West New Territories landfill expansion shrinks to 100 hectares
Currently, Hong Kong receives an average of 11,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day through the two landfills.
The spokesman said that before sufficient waste-to-energy facilities were put into use, Hong Kong still needed landfills to deal with municipal solid waste.
During this transition period, the EPD's two landfills in the New Territories will undergo limited expansion.
The contract for the design, construction and operation of the Northeast New Territories Landfill Expansion Project was successfully won by Veolia Environmental Services Hong Kong Co., Ltd. after an open tender process. The related construction works will start at the beginning of the year.
The EPD will implement stricter environmental control measures. In addition to adding real-time monitoring and reporting of different environmental parameters, it will also set up a dedicated website to publish environmental monitoring and audit data and results to the public.
As for the landfill in the West New Territories, the scale of its expansion plan has been greatly reduced by half from about 200 hectares to only about 100 hectares, and the related works will be open for tender this year.
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