Willebroek company to build world’s first ‘waste island’
Waste management giant Keppel Infrastructure has won a contract to build the world’s first island dedicated to handling waste and recyclables
Solving Hong Kong’s landfill problems
The work will be carried out by Keppel affiliate Keppel Seghers Hong Kong. The company will work in partnership with Hong Kong firm Zhen Hua Engineering, which brings the total value of the contract to €3.3 billion.
Unlike in Belgium, Hong Kong doesn’t burn waste that cannot be recycled; it stores it all in landfills. The Chinese region – one of the world’s most densely populated – is now suffering from poisonous gasses released into the air caused by the breaking down of rubbish.
Once the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) is up and running – in about 2024 – it will burn its waste. Energy produced from burning the waste will be exported to the region’s energy grid.
Keppel to run plant for 15 years
“It will take three years alone to build the island,” Keppel CEO Ivan Christiaens told VRT. “In the meantime, we’ll be working on the design of the waste installation itself. It will handle up to 1.2 million tons of waste a year.”
The 16-hectare island will also be used to sort and recycle glass, plastics and metals. The entire project includes the waste management facility, administrative buildings, a visitor centre, port handling facilities and desalination and wastewater treatment plants.
Following completion of the project, Keppel Infrastructure will be in charge of operations and maintenance of the IWMF for at least 15 years.
Photo: Architectural rendering of the new IWMF facility just off the coast of Shek Kwu Chau island in Hong Kong
