Need to innovate technology for treating household waste

According to a survey by the Department of Agriculture and Environment, about 1,100 tons of domestic solid waste are generated every day in Quang Ninh. Most of this waste is being treated by burning or landfilling - suitable for current conditions, but in the long term, it risks affecting the environment. In the context of increasing domestic solid waste and increasingly high environmental protection requirements, technological innovation, expanding scale, improving capacity and quality of domestic solid waste treatment are urgent tasks, contributing to building a green, clean and sustainable Quang Ninh.

According to the Planning of Quang Ninh province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 (approved in Decision No. 80/QD-TTg dated February 11, 2023 of the Prime Minister), the whole province plans 17 zones and clusters for domestic solid waste treatment. To date, 10 zones have been put into operation, 3 zones are under investment and 4 zones have not been implemented. Many large-scale, inter-regional projects are behind schedule, seriously affecting the province's overall waste treatment capacity. Typically, the Thong Nhat Commune Domestic Solid Waste Treatment Center (invested by INDEVCO Group, with a capacity of 900 tons/day) is more than 60 months behind schedule, along with projects in Mong Duong, Dong Ngu, Dai Xuyen and Trang Luong.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Cong (3rd from right) learns about the industrial waste treatment line at Lam Thach Cement Factory (September 2025).

Notably, in 2025, two waste treatment areas in Cau Cao (Van Don) and Cong To (Hai Lang) will have to close due to no longer being suitable for planning; two areas in Mong Duong and Thong Nhat will also be at full capacity. According to Mr. Doan Duy Vinh, Head of the Provincial Department of Environmental Protection, if there is no timely solution, by 2026 there will be about 400 tons of solid waste per day without a place to treat it.

Faced with this situation, Quang Ninh province is actively attracting investment, encouraging units to increase capacity and innovate waste treatment technology. A typical example is Khe Giang Waste Treatment Area (Yen Tu ward), invested by Viet Long Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, which is currently stably processing 400-600 tons of waste per day for many localities. The investor is deploying gasification technology to generate electricity, which is considered an advanced solution to thoroughly treat ash and slag, while also creating a source of reusable electricity. According to Director of Viet Long Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company Le Quang Thang, the unit's goal is to complete the technology innovation roadmap in 2026, contributing to the modernization and sustainability of solid waste treatment in the province.

Together with Viet Long Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, Lam Thach Cement Factory (Yen Tu Ward) recently submitted a document to the Provincial People's Committee for permission to treat domestic solid waste using a clinker kiln system with a capacity of up to 1,000 tons/day and night. Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Deputy General Director of Lam Thach Cement Factory, said: For cement production units, the advantage is having a high-heat clinker kiln system of 1,200-1,800 degrees, capable of completely burning waste. In the past time, the factory has treated about 100 tons of industrial waste/day, utilizing the heat and additives generated to serve cement production. Currently, the national technical regulation on co-processing of waste in cement kilns has been issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Circular No. 46/2025/TT-BNMT, opening up a new direction in waste treatment, including domestic waste for cement production units.

Lam Thach Cement Factory is currently processing about 100 tons of industrial waste per day.

On this basis, Lam Thach Cement Factory proposed to the Provincial People's Committee to allow the treatment of domestic solid waste. To prepare for the above, the unit has been making good use of existing infrastructure and equipment and investing in new waste incineration, such as closed warehouses for storing waste, cars, motorbikes for transporting waste, waste pre-processing equipment, waste incineration equipment at clinker smelting temperature, surplus power generation lines... with the goal of achieving a capacity of up to 1,000 tons/day depending on the amount of input waste.

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, affirmed that the province currently has 4 cement factories that have the advantage of taking advantage of existing infrastructure (warehouses, kilns) to treat waste. These factories are located near large urban areas, where large volumes of solid waste are generated, with short transportation distances, saving costs, thereby shortening time and reducing investment costs; competitive treatment prices. Lam Thach Cement Factory has basically met the planning and safety distance requirements, only needs to complete the application for re-issuance of environmental license to supplement the content of co-treatment of domestic waste to be able to install equipment. If actively implemented, it can be put into operation by the second quarter of 2026, contributing to adding another domestic waste treatment facility in the province.

Vietnamese and Chinese

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/can-doi-moi-cong-nghe-xu-ly-rac-thai-sinh-hoat-3379240.html