Letters to the Editors
Letter to the editor of South China Morning Post - Response to letters and columns on Integrated Waste Management Facilities
The Editor of SCMP
We would like to respond to several letters and columns (“Officials have failed to convince public about merits of incinerator”, Martin Williams, May 1; “Waste matters”, Howard Winn, May 3; and “The politics of self-interest rules in Hong Kong”, Philip Bowring, May 4; and “Incineration plans are outdated”, Charlie Chan, May 10).
The thermal treatment technology to be adopted for Hong Kong’s first Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) for municipal solid waste (MSW) near Shek Kwu Chau has been subject to a lengthy and thorough process of review covering advanced moving grate, gasification, plasma gasification etc.
Advanced moving grate has been chosen because it is still the mainstream waste treatment technology adopted worldwide for large scale MSW treatment. It has merits on environmental performance, reliability, operation adaptability and cost effectiveness.
It is incorrect to say that moving grate is outdated. It has been subject to continuous enhancements over the years and is still regarded as very reliable and robust to fully meet the latest European (EU) emission standards, which are the highest standards for modern incinerator in the world.
As a matter of fact, over 90% of new thermal treatment plants commissioned since 2009 used moving grate technology, including new plants being built, such as in Copenhagen.
Hong Kong’s facility will also adopt state-of-the-art, advanced system such as the selective catalytic reaction system to further reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides.
We are fully aware of those plasma gasification plants quoted in Mr Winn’s column. These plants are still under commissioning, construction or yet to be built.
Compared to the treatment capacity of 3,000 MSW per day we are planning, the plasma gasification plants are still relatively small with very limited performance track record.
It would take several years of operation before the effectiveness and efficacy of those plants can be evaluated and established. We will closely monitor their development and take into account their actual operational experiences in future studies.
The EIA concluded the operation of the modern incinerators will not have adverse impacts on public health. Recent international reviews show well-managed and regulated modern municipal waste incinerators do not pose risk to public health.
The IWMF can help reduce the volume of MSW by 90%, significantly reducing the use of landfill space, turn waste into energy and contribute to climate change mitigation.
Elvis WK Au
Assistant Director of Environmental Protection