At the Nongken waste to energy plant in the western suburbs of Bangkok, Thailand, garbage trucks occasionally enter a seven story building. The garbage is picked up by a huge mechanical grab and sent into the feeding port, and then enters the incinerator along the conveyor system. The sky above the chimney is clear, the pond water in the park is clear, and green trees provide shade. It's hard to imagine that more than a decade ago, garbage piled up like mountains here.

Replace old appearance with new one

This waste to energy plant, invested, constructed, and operated by Chinese enterprise Chuangguan Environmental Protection (Thailand) Co., Ltd., has been operating stably for nearly 10 years since its commissioning in 2016. Currently, the first phase of the project can process 500 tons of household waste per day, with a cumulative waste processing capacity of over 1.68 million tons. It has transmitted over 636 million kilowatt hours of electricity to the Bangkok power grid. Bangkok generates over 10000 tons of garbage daily, most of which is disposed of through landfilling. The sewage and odor generated during transportation have a significant impact on the surrounding environment, "said Ning He, the company's general manager. The project achieves waste reduction, harmlessness, and resource utilization through high-temperature incineration and waste heat power generation. Ning He explained that the project is not simply about exporting a single device or technology, but is based on the long-term accumulation of China's waste incineration power generation industry, integrating and optimizing the system to achieve localized application of relevant experience in Thailand.

Intelligent environmental protection operation and maintenance

In the second phase factory adjacent to the first phase project, a 73 meter long and 30 meter deep garbage storage pit is particularly prominent, which can accommodate up to 20000 tons of garbage. The processing capacity of the second phase project has been further improved, with a daily processing capacity of up to 1600 tons. To effectively control the overflow of odors, the factory adopts a fully enclosed and negative pressure system, and sets up "electronic nose" odor monitoring devices and noise monitoring systems at the garbage disposal outlet and surrounding areas. This analysis system, combined with artificial intelligence, can monitor volatile substances and environmental noise in real-time 24 hours a day. Once abnormal odors or excessive noise are identified, the system will automatically warn and provide feedback to the central control room. In the central control room, the staff monitors the incineration temperature and emission indicators in real time through the system to ensure that all operating parameters are stable and meet the standards. Stable and standardized operation management ensures peace of mind for residents in the surrounding community. Enterprises also actively participate in community building, serving surrounding communities through the establishment of foundations and communication mechanisms.

Empowering local development

The advancement of the project not only brings technical and management experience, but also promotes the cultivation of local talents. In Thailand, it is difficult to directly recruit personnel with relevant backgrounds and experience in garbage power generation, "said Tachanon Tamasu, an operations manager who has been working in the company for nearly 10 years. The company has trained more than 100 local employees, covering positions such as central control operation and equipment maintenance, with a single training cycle of up to six months. Keywords: Chinese enterprises, Bangkok, waste to energy generation

The Nongken Phase II factory will begin trial operation in the near future, and the Phase III project located in the east of Bangkok has also completed final debugging and is expected to be put into use soon. After all three factories are put into operation, it is expected that they can handle nearly 40% of Bangkok's household waste. Tachanon expressed his pride in being able to witness the progress of Thailand's waste management practices.Editor/Gong Ziwei