The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (November 30) announced that, following an open tender process, Keppel Seghers-Zhen Hua Joint Venture has won the contract to design, build and operate the Integrated Waste Management Facilities (IWMF) Phase 1, while ATAL Engineering Limited has won the contract to design, build and operate the Food Waste/Sewage Sludge Anaerobic Co-digestion Trial Scheme.

     "Alongside waste reduction at source and recycling initiatives, waste to energy facilities adopting advanced incineration technology form an indispensable and integral part of the overall waste management strategy of a modern city," an EPD spokesperson said.

     The IWMF Phase 1 is located on an artificial island near Shek Kwu Chau. In addition to an incinerator system with a maximum treatment capacity of 3 000 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste (MSW), the IWMF Phase 1 will have a mechanical sorting and recycling facility that can recover useful resources from up to 200 tonnes of MSW per day. The IWMF Phase 1 will generate electricity by recovering energy from waste during the incineration process, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuel for electricity generation and contributing to the reduction of local greenhouse gas emission.

     "The IWMF Phase 1 is expected to be fully commissioned by 2024 and the contract includes a 15-year operation period. We expect that the IWMF Phase 1 can export up to 480 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of surplus electricity to the power grid every year, which is equivalent to over 400 times the output of Hong Kong's largest solar farm at Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works (STW). Through the replacement of fossil fuel in electricity generation and reduction of the volume of MSW for landfill disposal, we expect that about 440 000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emission per year can be curtailed," the spokesperson added.

     The architectural and landscaping design of the IWMF Phase 1 will embrace the environmental philosophy of "Green, Clean and Lean" so as to blend in with the surrounding environment. The EPD will strive to acquire the green building rating accreditation of BEAM Plus Gold or a higher rating for the project. An advanced air cleaning system will be installed in the IWMF Phase 1 to ensure that its emissions will comply with the emission standards of Hong Kong and the European Commission. Air quality monitoring stations will be set up at Shek Kwu Chau, Cheung Chau and South Lantau to provide objective data on local air quality to ensure that the operation of the facilities will not affect the surrounding environment.

     The Trial Scheme aims to confirm the technical feasibility and installation requirements of using existing sewage treatment facilities for food waste/sewage sludge anaerobic co-digestion to help raise Hong Kong's overall food waste treatment capability. Under the Trial Scheme, Food Waste Pre-treatment Facilities will be constructed at the existing Shuen Wan Leachate Pre-treatment Works in Tai Po to treat up to 50 tonnes of food waste per day and then transport it to the existing sewage sludge anaerobic digestion system at the Tai Po STW for food waste/sewage sludge anaerobic co-digestion. The Trial Scheme is planned for commissioning in 2019 and the contract includes a six-year operation period.

Ends/Thursday, November 30, 2017
Issued at HKT 20:01

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