T·PARK is Hong Kong's first large-scale waste-to-energy (WtE) facility. Since its opening in 2016, T·PARK, has treated more than 2.7 million tonnes of sewage sludge, turning a daily average of over 1 230 tonnes of sewage sludge into energy over the past six years. While alleviating the pressure on landfills, the sludge incineration process also generates heat energy that is turned into electricity to support the energy needs of the facility, and the surplus electricity generated is exported to the public power grid. The facility has achieved reduction of waste and carbon emissions, and its environmental education centre has meanwhile been well received by the public, with more than 280 000 visitors in the past six years. The education centre's innovative and green design has set a new paradigm in which the public can learn about and understand the concept and benefits of WtE facilities.
 
     A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (May 19) that to celebrate the sixth anniversary of T·PARK, the department will hold a series of publicity activities through online platforms including social media to showcase how the facility adopts sustainable waste treatment solutions to practice turning waste into energy. The EPD will also hold "use less, waste less" workshops in July and August for the public to enjoy the fun of recycling resources.
 
     "T·PARK's environmental education centre offers recreational facilities for members of the public to visit and use for free, and provides guided tours, with a view to educating the public on the benefits of using modern WtE facilities for waste management. The adoption of advanced incineration technology in waste disposal can generate energy in the process. Apart from reducing the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity, it also helps avoid methane generation due to waste disposal in the landfills, thus reducing local greenhouse gas emissions and helping combat climate change," the spokesman said.
 
     Hong Kong will continue to develop WtE facilities, with a view to gradually replacing the disposal of nearly 11 000 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) daily in landfills. The Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 1, I·PARK1, which is now being built near Shek Kwu Chau, will be the first MSW disposal facility in Hong Kong using advanced incineration technology. It is scheduled for commissioning in 2025. For the site selection of I·PARK2, the EPD will conduct studies on environmental impact assessment and technical feasibility in regard to the middle ash lagoon at Tsang Tsui in Tuen Mun. The department will also commence a comprehensive territory-wide site search study in parallel to identify other potential sites suitable for developing other WtE facilities, in order to achieve the goals of "Zero Landfill" and carbon neutrality set out in the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035 and Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050.
 
     T·PARK, as the largest WtE facility in Hong Kong currently, is a landmark with novel architectural and engineering design. With its green building design features, T·PARK has attained the Platinum rating - the highest rating available - under BEAM Plus of the Hong Kong Green Building Council, and has also won many local and overseas awards in respect of engineering and sustainable architectural design. Its T·CAFÉ has also won various design awards.
 
     To enable more visitors to join the guided tours at T·PARK, the EPD today relaxed booking to allow each tour session to accommodate 30 persons. Booking by organisations (including schools and higher education institutions) will resume on May 26. The EPD will pay close attention to the latest developments of the pandemic and the Government's social distancing measures to review the arrangements for reopening the T·SPA.
 
     T·PARK is located at 25 Nim Wan Road, Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, and is open to the public on Monday and from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm. Members of the public can book a visit via its dedicated website. Guided tours are available every open day and a free shuttle bus service is available for visitors to and from V city in Tuen Mun. More information about T·PARK can be found at its dedicated website: www.tpark.hk. Members of the public may also call 2910 9700 or send an email to info@tpark.hk for enquiries.

Ends/Thursday, May 19, 2022
Issued at HKT 11:15

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