RICHWAY SYSTEM
RICHWAY ADVANTAGE
FEATURE PRESENTATION

FEATURE PRESENTATION - CASE STUDY

Introduction
RICHWAY’s “flagship” project is a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility in Shenzhen, China.  This is a “state-of-the-art” facility that eliminates 300 Tonnes Per Day (TPD) of Municipal Solid Waste while producing 6 Mega-Watts (MW) of electricity.

Background
Shenzhen is located in the Guangdong Province of south China.  It is a modern, industrialized city and its port connects Mainland China with Hong Kong.

Shenzhen was China’s first city to be designated as a “Special Economic” and “Port Free Trade” zone.  This “special” status (in addition to its proximity to Hong Kong) has resulted in an economy that has grown at an average rate of 15% per year.  This “economic boom” is twice that of China’s national average.  In addition, it has a rapidly growing population of over 6 million people as the young and educated move, to Shenzhen, from the surrounding provinces.

Shenzhen is a center for high-tech manufacturing, international financial services as well as other market-driven businesses.  The city is equipped with its own airport, seaports and land hubs. Shenzhen is the world’s sixth largest container traffic seaport.

Growth Problems
The rapid growth of Shenzhen and its surrounding area has caused the region to develop and maintain sustainable waste management functions.  The city produces over 2 million Tonnes of municipal solid waste per year – and, as much as 80% is not adequately processed.

There are limited fiscal resources.  Yet, there is public demand for favorable living conditions and other elements of growth such as electricity and building materials.  Local landfills are costly due to environmental and health costs of water contamination, soil contamination and greenhouse gases.  There is, also, an associated cost of limited and expensive land in this rapidly growing region.

The Richway Solution
Instead of creating another costly landfill, Shenzhen officials commissioned RICHWAY to recommend an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible alternative.  The RICHWAY solution is a stand-alone WTE facility with the following design considerations:

• It processes 300 TPD of municipal solid waste (MSW)
• It generates 6 MW of electricity
• It recovers 2,000 tons of metals and glass per year
• It produces 2 million construction bricks (from processed ash) per year
• It sustains 100% waste consumption and it is financially viable

The state-owned facility was the first, in China, to be established as a test case.  RICHWAY, through its subsidiary, Shenzhen RICHWAY Environmental Development Limited, managed the facility (under contract) until mid 2004.

The RICHWAY WTE facility in Shenzhen was completed and began operation in 1999 with immediate benefits.  Environmental assessments report that the volume of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride are well below the environmental limits as set in China and Canada.  The facility reduces the volume of solid waste by 90 - 95%.  Essentially, the facility sustains 100% waste consumption by recovering metals and glass as well as the production of bricks (from ash products).

Conclusion
The Shenzhen WTE facility is a world model for 100% disposal of municipal solid waste, while generating electricity in an environmentally responsible and financially viable manner.  The unprecedented success of this ‘cutting-edge’ pilot project firmly established RICHWAY at the forefront of the environmental sector.  It has paved the way for future RICHWAY projects throughout the world.