China Everbright secures another waste-to-energy contract

Hong-Kong based China Everbright International has signed a supplementary concession agreement with the Public Utility Management Bureau of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, to invest in and construct a waste-to-energy plant worth around RMB780 million (€100m). 

The development, entitled Yixing waste-to-energy project phase II, will be constructed on a build-operate-transfer basis with a concession period of 30 years. It will process 1,700 tonnes of household waste per day and is expected to generate around 170 million kWh of electricity per year.

The project is equipped with two self-developed 850 tonnes/day mechanic grate furnaces, which have the largest single-furnace processing capacity in the industry in China; two medium-temperature sub-high pressure waste heat boilers; and a 40MW turbine power generator. Its gas emissions will fully comply with the Euro 2010 Standard. 

Phase I of the project commenced operation in June 2007, with a total investment of approximately RMB238 million. It was China's first demonstration project that was equipped with domestically-made equipment with imported technologies. It also achieved "nil discharge" of leachate from the waste-to-energy process, a pioneering move within the industry, according to China Everbright.

Hu Yanguo, CEO of Environmental Energy Sector at Everbright International, said: "Yixing project phase I has been operating safely and in an environmental-friendly manner for over ten consecutive years, with its construction quality and operation management being highly recognised by the local government.

“By signing the supplemental agreement, we have continued our desirable partnership with the local government. The group remains committed to designing, constructing, operating and managing with the highest standards in an effort to establish the project phase II as a benchmark project for the waste-to-energy industry in the Yangtze River Delta region. This will help to deliver social, environmental and economic benefits, and will also make new contributions to Yixing City's green and sustainable development." 

This story was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Bioenergy Insight.