In the Nongkeng waste-to-energy plant in the western suburbs of Bangkok, Thailand, garbage transport trucks drive into a 7-story factory building from time to time. The garbage is picked up by a huge mechanical grab and sent to the feed port, and then enters the incinerator along the conveyor system. The sky above the chimney is clear, the water in the park is clear, and the trees are shady. It’s hard to imagine that there was a mountain of garbage here more than ten years ago.

This waste-to-energy plant invested, constructed and operated by the Chinese-funded enterprise Chuangguan Environmental Protection (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has been operating stably for nearly 10 years since it was put into operation in 2016. Currently, the first phase of the project can process 500 tons of domestic waste per day, and has processed more than 1.68 million tons of garbage in total. It has transmitted more than 636 million kilowatt hours of electricity to the Bangkok power grid.

“Bangkok generates more than 10,000 tons of garbage every day, most of which is disposed of in landfills. The sewage and odor generated during the transfer process have a relatively large impact on the surrounding environment.” Ning He, the company’s general manager, told reporters that the project uses high-temperature incineration and waste heat power generation to achieve garbage reduction, harmlessness and resource treatment.

Ning He said that the project is not a simple output of a single piece of equipment or technology, but based on the long-term accumulation of China's waste incineration power generation industry, system integration and optimization, so that relevant experience can be localized and applied in Thailand.

In the second-phase factory adjacent to the first-phase project, the 73-meter-long and 30-meter-deep garbage storage pit is particularly eye-catching and can hold up to more than 20,000 tons of garbage. The processing capacity of the second phase of the project will be further improved, with a daily processing scale of up to 1,600 tons. In order to effectively control the spillage of odor, the factory adopts a fully enclosed and negative pressure system, and an "electronic nose" odor monitoring device and noise monitoring system are installed at and around the garbage discharge port. This analysis system combined with artificial intelligence can monitor volatile substances and environmental noise in the air in real time 24 hours a day. Once an abnormal smell or excessive noise is identified, the system will automatically give an early warning and feedback to the central control room.

In the central control room, staff monitor the incineration temperature and emission indicators in real time through the system to ensure that various operating parameters are stable and up to standard. Stable and standardized operation and management give residents in surrounding communities peace of mind. The company also actively participates in community co-construction and serves surrounding communities by setting up foundations and establishing communication mechanisms.

The advancement of the project not only brings technical and management experience, but also promotes the cultivation of local talents. "In Thailand, it is difficult to directly recruit people with relevant background and experience in waste-to-energy generation." Operations manager Thachanon Tamaso, who has worked for the company for nearly 10 years, said that the company has trained more than a hundred local employees, covering central control operations, equipment maintenance and other positions, with a single training cycle of up to half a year.

According to reports, the second phase of the Nong Khem plant will begin trial operation in the near future, and the third phase of the project in eastern Bangkok has also completed final debugging and is expected to be put into use soon. After all three plants are put into operation, they are expected to be able to process nearly 40% of Bangkok's domestic waste.

“I am proud to be a part of witnessing the progress of waste disposal methods in Thailand.” Thachanon said.