China's Shenzhen Energy Group starts building waste-to-energy plant in AstanaShenzhen Energy Group Co. Ltd. has begun construction of a waste-to-energy incineration plant in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana's mayor said Tuesday."Together with representatives of Shenzhen Energy Group, we launched the 'Astana Energy Ecopark' project. The complex will incinerate solid household waste and generate electricity," Mayor Zhenis Kassymbek said on social media.The plant will take three years to build. Once operational, its annual processing capacity will reach 550,000 tonnes of solid waste, allowing for harmless, reduced and resource-saving waste processing that will significantly improve the city's environmental conditions.Average annual electricity generation will be about 330 million kilowatt-hours. After covering the plant's own needs, about 280 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity will be supplied annually to the city's power grid.The project will create at least 90 stable jobs for city residents and includes phased vocational training for employees abroad.Kassymbek noted that all waste from the capital is currently taken to the Astana Recycling Plant for sorting before being sent to a landfill. The city has one authorized landfill consisting of two cells. The first cell has been decommissioned, and the second has been in use since 2018 and contains 2.2 million tonnes of solid waste.Separately, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov discussed waste management cooperation and advanced environmental standards with Wang Gang, head of Shenzhen Energy Environment, a subsidiary of Shenzhen Energy Group, the government said Tuesday.The first phase of the Astana Energy Ecopark project will receive $180 million in investment, with a joint venture called East Hope established for its implementation.The first phase will have a capacity of at least 1,500 tonnes of waste per day and generate 50 megawatts of electricity.Bektenov called the project strategically important for both the capital and the country, adding that the government will provide all necessary support. He instructed the Energy Ministry and the city administration to consider expanding the model to other regions.Wang Gang said the company intends to implement a second phase that would ensure complete disposal of accumulated solid waste from landfills.Shenzhen Energy Environment Co. Ltd. operates 57 waste incineration facilities in China with a total daily capacity of 79,000 tonnes. The company manages up to 90% of waste in Shenzhen, a city of about 20 million people. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX