Construction starts for HCMC’s first waste-to-energy plant

HCMC-based BCG Energy, under Bamboo Capital Group, broke ground for the first phase of Tam Sinh Nghia factory on Saturday.

Costing a total VND6.4 trillion (US$251 million), the first phase has a waste incineration capacity of 2,000-2,600 tons and a power generation of 60 MW per day.

Expected to be completed by the end of next year, the project is owned by Bamboo Capital Group and BCG Energy after they acquired Tam Sinh Nghia Investment Development JSC, the previous project owner.

According to the investor, the plant applies advanced technology to generate heat from the trash burning process into electrical energy for production and domestic use.

The remaining ash from waste burning can also be produced as building material, it said.

Additionally, the investor stated that the wastewater generated during the plant’s operation will be collected, treated in a closed system, and reused for cooling the internal machinery.

Emissions and ash produced during the burning process will also be treated and will not cause odors or air pollution.

In later phases, the plant will gradually increase its waste incineration capacity to 6,000 and 8,600 tons per day, corresponding to power generation levels of 130 and 200 MW.

Once completed, it will be the first operational waste-to-energy plant in Vietnam’s biggest city.

HCMC approved the Tam Sinh Nghia project, along with another waste-to-energy project by Vietstar Company several years ago.

However, due to procedural delays, only the Tam Sinh Nghia plant got permission for construction.

For the Vietstar project, the company is still completing related documents for fire safety design approval, and technical design to obtain a construction permit.

Besides these two projects, there are two other approved projects in the city dealing with waste using artificial lightning energy and solid waste recycling, with a total capital of over VND13 trillion, which are being considered for revocation due to slow implementation.

HCMC currently generates 9,800 tons of domestic waste daily, with the number reaching 11,000 tons during holidays.

Most of the waste is treated by being buried at landfills, posing a risk of pollution to residential areas.

According to the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment, by 2025, the city aims to treat at least 80% of domestic waste through waste-to-energy technology and increase to 100% by 2030.