SHENZHEN’S waste-incineration capacity will reach 18,000 tons per day in 2018, meaning all household waste generated by the city could be disposed of in incineration plants, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported Wednesday.

    Wang Guobin, head of the city’s urban management bureau, said during a radio talk program recently that the biggest challenge for garbage disposal in Shenzhen is building new waste treatment facilities and upgrading existing ones.

    “It’s our target to build waste incineration plants in accordance with international standards. We will transform the incineration plant in Yantian District this year… and residents are welcome to visit the inside of the plant and even enjoy a cup of coffee inside,” Wang said.

    Wang said the bureau plans to spend three years transforming all incineration plants in Shenzhen to meet Western standards, including adding visitor facilities. Three new waste disposal facilities started construction this year.

    “In 2018, the city’s waste-incineration capacity will reach 18,000 tons per day, meaning all household waste in Shenzhen will be disposed of in incinerators by then,” he said.

    He said the bureau will encourage residents to classify garbage properly and reduce household waste, while property management companies should compel residents to properly sort their waste.

    During the radio show, a man surnamed Yu called and complained about garbage piling up on a road near the Nantou Checkpoint. After finishing the show, Wang visited the area Yu mentioned, according to the report.

    Currently, the city generates about 16,000 tons of garbage per day. By 2020, Shenzhen residents will produce an estimated 16,700 tons of waste each day while existing power plants can only handle 7,125 tons, according to previous media reports.

    The city plans to build three new waste power plants in Nanshan, Bao’an and Longgang districts within five years, according to a plan made public by the city’s urban management authorities in July last year.

    One of the plants located in Longgang District, which is scheduled to be operational by 2020, will be the world’s largest garbage incineration power plant.

    Upon completion, the three new plants will be able to dispose of 10,300 tons of waste each day.

    (Zhang Yang)