Waste-to-energy plant goes into operation

By Chen Zai, Yichang International Communication Studio

Yichang's first project to generate electricity by incinerating household waste officially began operation on June 27. Generating electrical power by incineration is a significant step up in waste treatment from old-fashioned landfill disposal.

Located in Fenghuangguan Village of Yiling District, the waste-to-energy plant covers an area of around 68 hectares and represents an investment of 930 million yuan (US$135 million).

With three 750 tons/day waste incineration lines, two 6.4MPa/450°C steam boilers, one 18MW steam turbine generator, and a 300 tons/day waste leachate treatment station, the plant is able to process 1,500 tons of garbage per day, roughly equivalent to the amount of garbage currently produced each day in the Yichang downtown area.

After being stored and fermented, garbage is incinerated in the boiler. This produces high-temperature steam which drives a turbine generator to create electricity.

About 170 million kWh of electricity is expected to be generated annually, enough to provide more than 200,000 people with electricity for a year. To generate an equivalent amount of electricity would require 69,000 tons of standard coal along with the increased pollution that entails. Additionally, the slag generated from waste incineration can be used to make recycled bricks.

Now that the project is in operation, Yichang expects to reach its "zero landfill" goal in the urban area this year, a milestone for a city that prides itself on its protection of the Yangtze River.