Hanoi on Monday inaugurated its first industrial waste-to-energy (WtE) facility in Nam Sơn Waste Treatment Complex, supplying electricity to the national power grid.
The NEDO Factory, the first industrial waste-to-energy facility, is considered a pioneering project of Vietnam’s industrial waste treatment industry.
The plant, the first of its kind in Vietnam, completed its first production batch of 1.93MW of electricity on March 16, of which 1.2 MW was successfully connected to the national power grid. The remaining power was used for the factory’s production.
Almost all of the factory’s equipment was supplied by the Hitachi Zosen Company of Japan.
With total investment capital of VNĐ645 billion (US$29 million) including more than VNĐ472 ($22.5 million) of non-refundable aid from Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) and the remaining VNĐ173 billion extracted from the city’s budget, the NEDO Factory was first put into trial operation on September 16 last year after 22 months of construction.
It was built on 16,809 cubic metres at the Nam Sơn Waste Treatment Complex, Sóc Sơn District.
The Vietnamese partner, the Hanoi Urban Environment Company (URENCO), was responsible for the construction of the factory’s foundation and technical infrastructure. The company’s installation and use of construction technology was supervised by Japanese experts.
The NEDO Factory fully meets current requirements of a WtE facility ready to fulfill its environmental mission, said environmental experts at a ceremony to mark the inauguration on Monday.
With the application of Japan’s most advanced WtE technology, the factory, with a waste treatment capacity of 75 tonnes per day, is considered a pioneering project of Việt Nam’s industrial waste treatment industry.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hanoi People’s Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Doan Toan affirmed this was not only the first project in Vietnam and the region that transforms waste into power, but also a symbol of friendship between Vietnam and Japan.
It marked a milestone for Hanoi in its efforts to protect the environment and recycle waste into power, according to Toan.
The city official revealed the factory will be fully handed over to URENCO in October this year for management and operation, said Toan.
Counsellor of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam Yoshito Nakajima said the plant was a meaningful project for Hanoi.
The Japanese diplomat hoped to build WtEs in many other localities in the country.
To do that, Yoshito said, it was necessary for Vietnam to change and improve some legal frameworks to help localities implement the new waste treatment model.
Japan is ready to support Vietnam in its implementation of environment projects that combine waste treatment with energy production, according to the diplomat.