After many years of waiting, two waste-to-electricity projects in Cu Chi district in HCMC got the nod from municipal authorities and plan to kick off in August and October.

Vietstar, one of two plants, covering an area of 40 hectares, would have capacity of 2,000 tons of waste a day. Kicked off on August 28, the first phase of the project is scheduled to become operational late next year.

According to Ngo Nhu Hung Viet, general director of Vietstar, the $400 million plant will utilize Martin technology from Germany with a closed system that does not spread odors and has automated technology.

In early October, Tam Sinh Nghia will kick off some items of the 8 hectare plant which has the expected capacity of 2,000 tons of waste a day. After it becomes operational, slated for August 2021, it will generate electricity with the capacity of 40 MW and churn out unburnt bricks, 200 tons a day.

After many years of waiting, two waste-to-electricity projects in Cu Chi district in HCMC got the nod from municipal authorities and plan to kick off in August and October.

Tasco JSC also plans to build a waste-to-electricity plant generating 2,000 tons a day.

According to the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the total amount of waste collected in 2018 was 3 million tons. The city discharged 9,200 tons of waste each day, an increase of 4.19 percent over 2017. Most the waste was buried.

The municipal authorities decided that the proportion of buried waste would be cut to 50 percent by 2020 and requested waste treatment plants to shift to use waste-to-electricity technology. It is expected that 98 MW would be collected in 2020-2021 from the waste-to-electricity plants, while the figures would be 138 MW by 2025 and 198 MW by 2030.

“After putting three waste-to-electricity plants into operation, the amount of waste buried in HCMC would reduce to below 50 percent,” said Nguyen Toan Thang, director of the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.

In HCMC, the domestic waste is being treated mostly by the VWS, VIetstar and Tam Sinh Nghia.

The city is calling for investments in modern waste treatment technology for five landfills which have stopped operation, namely Phuoc Hiep in Cu Chi district (3 landfills), Go Cat in Binh Tan and Dong Thanh in Hoc Mon district.

The investors can enjoy some investment incentives, including exemption of land rent for 11 years or 70 percent rent reduction. The city commited to buy electricity to be generated by the plants, promised to exempt tax on fixed asset imports.

According to the Vietnam General Directorate of Environment and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the total amount of waste is 20 million tons a year.

Linh Ha 

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