Attracting more investment in waste-to-energy plants

Many landfills do not meet environmental standards.

In recent years, whenever there is a prolonged heavy rain, leachate from Ru Ri landfill (North Nha Trang ward) flows into the environment, causing pollution. The cause was determined to be that Ru Ri landfill was formed in the mid-1980s, is an open-air landfill, has outdated technology, and has no bottom lining, so leachate still exists and flows into the environment for a long time. Since 2014, when Luong Hoa landfill came into operation, Ru Ri landfill was closed by covering the surface of the landfill with soil and waterproofing membrane. However, the bottom layer of Ru Ri landfill cannot be renovated and is kept in its current state. Since Ru Ri landfill was closed, in the dry season, leachate is generated less, and at times there is no water, so all leachate is thoroughly collected and treated at Luong Hoa leachate treatment station. However, in the rainy season, the water flow exceeds the maximum treatment capacity of the treatment station many times; Leachate mixed with rainwater and groundwater flows into the outside environment through streams to residential areas. Luong Hoa landfill currently receives waste from all wards in Nha Trang area with a volume of about 620 tons/day. In more than 1 week after the recent flood, the volume of waste concentrated here is more than 1,200 tons/day. It is predicted that Luong Hoa landfill can only meet the landfill needs for the next 3 years and will also close in the near future.

Comrade Le Huyen and the provincial working delegation inspected the implementation area of the Khanh Hoa Waste-to-Energy Plant Project (Suoi Dau commune).

According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DARD), currently, the whole province has 6 domestic solid waste treatment areas that ensure environmental protection requirements, of which the north of Khanh Hoa has 5 facilities, the south of Khanh Hoa has 1 facility. In addition, there are still many open dump sites (without waterproof lining and leachate treatment system) that do not ensure environmental standards in the communes (outside the collection area to the 6 above treatment areas). Currently, most of these dump sites are overloaded, causing environmental pollution and must be closed in the near future, such as: Hon Ngang landfill in Dien Lam commune; Cam Hiep temporary landfill located in the area of 3 communes Cam Hiep, Cam Lam, Suoi Dau; open dump sites in Khanh Vinh, Khanh Son areas...

While many landfills do not meet environmental standards, the amount of waste generated in the whole province is currently more than 1,600 tons/day; after the storms, the amount of waste is greater and is forecast to continue to increase. According to the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, in the last 6 months of 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has continued to contract with collection units; from January 1, 2026, it will be transferred to communes and wards to proactively prepare estimates to hire collection units.

More waste-to-energy plant projects needed

In order to have a fundamental and long-term solution to the waste problem, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has recommended that the Provincial People's Committee in the coming period continue to call for and select investors to implement medium-scale domestic solid waste treatment plant projects at planned locations in accordance with regulations in order to strive to achieve the goal of reducing the direct landfill rate to less than 30% in the coming time. At the same time, monitor and urge the progress of the waste-to-energy plant being deployed in Suoi Dau commune to soon complete and put into operation to solve the current backward problems in domestic solid waste treatment; allocate funds to upgrade and expand sanitary landfills in the province, focusing on improving the capacity to treat leachate.

According to the Planning of Khanh Hoa province for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 (previously) approved in Decision No. 318, dated March 29, 2023 of the Prime Minister, there are 2 areas implementing waste-to-energy projects: Khanh Hoa Waste-to-Energy Plant Project (Suoi Dau commune); Domestic Solid Waste Treatment Plant Project in Bac Nha Trang ward. According to the plan for developing solid waste treatment areas for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 of Decision No. 318, the northern area of Khanh Hoa has 13 domestic solid waste treatment areas, 3 industrial solid waste treatment areas; the southern area of Khanh Hoa according to the planning of Ninh Thuan province (previously) has 3 areas implementing the project to develop solid waste treatment areas for the period of 2021 - 2030.

Recently, comrade Le Huyen - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee inspected the implementation of the Khanh Hoa Waste-to-Energy Plant Project (Suoi Dau commune). The project is invested by KH New City Joint Stock Company, with a total investment of 3,250 billion VND, with the following items: Construction of a plant to treat domestic and industrial solid waste to generate electricity with a capacity of 1,000 tons of dry domestic solid waste/day and night (equivalent to about 1,300 tons of fresh domestic solid waste) and 250 tons of normal industrial waste/day; generating electricity with a capacity of 26MW. At the working session with representatives of departments, branches and investors, comrade Le Huyen emphasized that the construction of Khanh Hoa Waste-to-Energy Plant and attracting investment in waste-to-Energy plant projects in the province brings dual environmental and economic significance by solving the problem of waste treatment and creating clean energy sources. Therefore, he requested the investor and related departments, branches and localities to urgently complete investment procedures to ensure the project is completed on or ahead of schedule. According to the approved decision, from the third quarter of 2026 to the third quarter of 2027, construction and equipment installation of the Khanh Hoa Waste-to-Energy Plant will be carried out; the plant will be put into trial operation in the fourth quarter of 2027. Currently, the province is continuing to call for and attract investment in waste-to-energy plant projects in the area in accordance with the planning to ensure fundamental and long-term environmental issues for the province.

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