Planning suitable waste treatment zones

Sorting domestic waste to produce compost

Soon to implement the project of burning waste to generate electricity

Currently, the management of industrial waste, medical waste and industrial wastewater, Dong Nai has performed quite well. Environmental pollution due to lack of treatment infrastructure and unresponsive infrastructure are almost nonexistent. The priority in waste management today is domestic waste because of its large volume, complicated collection and transportation, and many projects "discarding" domestic waste.

Mr. Le Van Binh, Director of the Provincial Environmental Protection Sub-Department, said that out of 11 operating projects, 7 projects have the function of receiving and treating domestic waste. However, in 2022, only 4 projects in treatment zones: Quang Trung, Vinh Tan, Tuc Trung, Xuan Tam participated in the treatment of solid waste for the province. These projects are capable of receiving and treating domestic waste, but with an average increase of 5% per year, the number of unsuccessful projects is increasing, and it is necessary to have solutions to speed up the progress of undeveloped projects, or under the designed capacity.

One of the solutions that is considered effective is to speed up the project of burning waste to generate electricity with a capacity of 1.2 thousand tons per day as planned in Vinh Cuu District. This project has been reported by the Provincial People's Committee to the Standing Committee of Provincial Party Committee for investment policy in the form of public-private partnership (PPP), Build – Own – Operate (BOO) contract and has been approved by the Standing Committee of Provincial Party Committee for investment policy in 2021.

The project is expected to come into operation around the second quarter of 2024, not only contributing to solving the increased amount of domestic waste from now to 2030; maintaining the landfill rate below 15% but also recovering renewable energy sources.

Planning suitable treatment plants

Deputy Director Tran Trong Toan of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that because some projects have not been implemented yet, some treatment zones had to be suspended, so the Department of Natural Resources and Environment came here to review and check all the progress of projects according to the plan. Thereby adjusting and supplementing the master plan on waste treatment plants for the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030, included in the general planning of the province and updated in the general planning of the province to submit to the Government for approval.

According to the plan, Dong Nai has 9 treatment zones with 17 projects for receiving and treating waste. The project's treatment scale is as planned: domestic waste is more than 3.3 thousand tons per day; industrial waste more than 4.5 thousand tons per day and hazardous waste about 4.1 thousand tons per day. Currently, there are 7 treatment plants, 11 projects operating with the scale of receiving and treating: domestic waste is about 2 thousand tons per day; ordinary industrial waste is about 1.3 thousand tons per day; hazardous and medical waste more than 500 tons per day.

Waste treatment treatment project planning meets the actual needs of the locality, meets the management and operation of relevant organizations and individuals. The Department will advise on preferential policies for new technology investment projects.

Currently, all projects and waste treatment plants have investors, but for projects that are slow to be implemented, and the wastewater treatment plants have been shut down for environmental monitoring, the Department will summarize and recommend solutions to recover or convert the waste treatment plants to be suitable with the development plan.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Viet, a Doctor of environment in Ho Chi Minh City, said that in the planning of domestic waste treatment projects, Dong Nai should pay attention to large projects, focusing on 70-80% of the total volume of the whole province. The first reason is that long distance transportation costs the province's budget. Second, in the event of an incident, the risk of waste backlog is very high, for example, at Nam Son Landfill in Hanoi. Third, there may arise requests and claims from investors. According to Mr. Viet, it is not advisable to plan too many solid waste treatment zones, about 3-5 projects is enough. The province needs to orient the main treatment technology, backup plan when problems occur in waste treatment activities.

                                                                                                  Nam Vu