HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee on Sunday hosted an investment seminar on its waste-to-energy project.

Speaking at the event, Đặng Huy Đông, deputy minister of planning and investment, said that burning garbage to produce electricity was similar to coal power technology. Therefore, the city authority has to carefully consider proposals submitted by investors to ensure technical parameters and capacity before signing contracts. Moreover, innovation also needs to be fostered for better environment protection, he said.

A representative of HCM City said it plans to call for private sector’s investments instead of allocating the State budget for development projects. 

By funding the project, investors can enjoy the land free for 11 years or a reduction of 70 per cent on land rent. Also, the city will adopt the subsidy policy for incineration generator projects.

On the occasion, several experts stressed on waste-to-energy as the innovative solution in waste management. International and domestic companies also expressed their interest in the project.

At present, the daily solid waste in HCM City is 8,700 tonnes, of which 76 per cent is to be buried and 14.7 per cent is for composite production. Additionally, there are about 2,000 tonnes of industrial waste, 400 tonnes of hazardous waste and 22 tonnes of medical waste. These numbers are expected to rise by 5 to 10 per cent in one year. HCM City aims to reduce the amount of buried waste to 20 per cent by 2025.

All project bidding will be publicly organised. — VNS