HK’s first waste incinerator goes into service next year, second to be completed 2 years ahead of schedule

Hong Kong’s first municipal waste incinerator off Shek Kwu Chau could commence operations next year, with a second one to be completed 2 years ahead of schedule, according to LegCo documents.

In a document submitted to LegCo, the Environmental Protection Department said I·PARK1, the city’s first waste-to-energy incinerator, is expected to be commissioned next year. It can handle around 3,000 tonnes of waste per day and reduce its volume by 90 percent after treatment.

The department said the reclamation works, seawall and breakwater construction works for the project are largely completed as of May, with the contractor currently carrying out works on the artificial island related to the foundation, civil engineering, plants, chimneys, buildings and structural engineering.

The remaining works mainly include installations of building services and electrical and mechanical systems, as well as the plants and test runs of the facilities, it said.

Upon full operation, the heat produced by the facility can be used to generate electricity for its daily operation, as well as exporting an estimated 480 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power each year to the grid, according to the department.

Meanwhile, the department said the construction work of I·PARK2, a second incinerator located in Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, could be completed two years ahead of schedule.

It said the timeline could be shortened after consulting an expert team and large-scale mainland Chinese waste incineration enterprises, while authorities are looking to introduce suitable financial incentives to encourage contractors to expedite construction progress.

I·PARK2, which has a maximum treatment capacity of 6,000 tonnes per day, could generate an estimated 960 million kWh of power each year to the grid.

The department also said it is exploring the possibility to include recreational venues at I·PARK2, different from those in T·PARK to offer the public a novel recreational experience.