HCMC Expedites Advancement of Waste-to-Energy Plants
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Ho Chi Minh City has provided updates on five ongoing projects aimed at converting existing solid waste treatment plants into waste-to-energy models. The municipal People’s Committee has approved the investment strategy for two projects, led by Vietstar Joint Stock Company and Tam Sinh Nghia Investment Development Joint Stock Company, respectively. Each project is designed to process approximately 2,000 tonnes of waste per day. The remaining three projects, including Vietnam Waste Solutions Inc. (with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes per day), HCMC Urban Environment Co. Ltd. (with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes per day), and Tasco Joint Stock Company (with a capacity of 500 tonnes per day), are in the final stages of completing the necessary legal procedures for investment.
To further advance waste management efforts, the People’s Committee has assigned the Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE Corp) to conduct a pre-feasibility study for a solid waste treatment and energy recovery plant. This plant is expected to be located at the Northwest Solid Waste Treatment Complex in HCMC, as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative.
HCMC currently generates approximately 9,700 tonnes of solid waste daily, with complex composition and characteristics, which places significant pressure on domestic waste management, collection, transportation, and treatment facilities. Around 70% of the waste is currently being buried, while the remaining portion is recycled or incinerated to generate electricity.
By 2025, the city aims to achieve 100% collection and treatment of domestic solid waste, with at least 80% of solid household waste being classified at the source. Efforts are being made to reduce the volume of buried waste, with a target of 2,600 tonnes per day. The city also aims to have at least 80% of total domestic solid waste in urban areas recycled for compost fertilizer or burned for electricity. To achieve these goals, HCMC plans to adopt advanced waste treatment technologies, invest in energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solid waste treatment methods, and explore recycling technologies that align with each locality’s consumption habits.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is collaborating with other departments and agencies to encourage local waste treatment facilities to transition to waste-to-energy technologies. Additionally, efforts are being made to promote digital transformation in the collection, treatment, and management of the substantial volume of domestic solid waste generated daily.