Hanoi’s authorities will actively remove difficulties for the construction of a waste-to-energy plant in Soc Son district, the largest in Vietnam, and put it into operation as soon as possible.

The information was announced by Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung while inspecting the construction progress of the project at the Nam Son and Soc Son waste treatment complexes on May 7.

Chung thanked Thien Y Environment Energy Joint Stock Company, the project's investor, for their efforts to accelerate the project and coordinate closely with relevant units to ensure job safety and prevention of Covid-19 in the execution.

Due to the impacts of bad weather and Covid-19 epidemic, the project has completed 45% of the workload. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

The Hanoi mayor agreed with the change of the power generator specifications proposed by the investors, suggesting that the investor should submit the proposal to the relevant agencies for evaluation and the municipal People's Committee for approval by May 15.

On the entry of foreign experts to Vietnam, Chung asked the investor to consider timing and flight for their safe arrival and ensure the Covid-19 prevention and control work.

According to Li Ai Jun, deputy director of Thien Y Environment Energy Joint Stock Company, the project has progressed by 45% of the plan.

It was expected that some 400 Chinese workers and experts would come to Vietnam to implement the project after the Lunar New Year holiday. However, bad weather and Covid-19 pandemic have delayed their entry.

"We are speeding up the project, striving to put the project into operation by the end of 2020," Li Ai Jun emphasized.

The project, which costs about VND7,000 billion (US$301 million), was approved by the Hanoi People's Committee at the end of 2017 and executed by a Chinese contractor.

The plant will have a processing capacity of 4,000 tons of waste per day to help treat litter in many urban districts. It is said to use advanced European waste-to-energy technology to obtain an estimated amount of electricity of 75 MW per hour.

Hanoi currently discharges an average of 6,000 tons of waste per day. When the project is put into operation, it is expected to reduce waste pollution that affects the lives of local residents and be cost-effective.