Current situation and experience of

waste to energy in China

Haiyun Xu
China Urban Construction Design
and Research Institute Co.Ltd.
The current situation of MSW Treatment in China
250 120

Collected MSW（Million tons） 100

200
MSW treated rat（%） 80
150
60
100
40

50
20

0 0
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In 2016, approximately 203 million metric tones of MSW were removed in more than
600 cities across the main land of China, To be clear, this is the quantity of waste for
disposal after recycling.
MSW (after material recycling) Treatment Rate in 2016

dumping, 3.1%

incineraion,
36.3%
landfilling,
58.5%

composting,
2.1%
The rapid development of MSW incineration – After 2000, more and
more WTE facilities have been built up.

In 1985, Shenzhen imported a complete set of 150 tons / day waste

incinerator from MITSUBISHI Heavy Industry Co., Japan, with two daily
handling capacity of 150 tons per day. In November 1985, it started working in
June 1988. It was put into operation in November 1st of the same year. It
became the first modern waste incineration plant in China.
The second WTE plants were put into operation in 2000 in Zhuhai City in
Guangdong Province.
The development MSW incineration(waste to energy)
 Rapid development of waste
incineration
 The Nimby (not in my backyard)
effect of anti - waste incineration plant
is also developing.

40 800
37.8 35.7 755.0
面积(万平方公里）
35 700
人口密度(人/平方公里)
631
30 610.6 600
565.2
533.8
25 491.5 500

20 18.7 400
17.71
350.54 16.56
371.3 15.34
15 13.96 300

235.88 10.1
10 200

5 3.6 100

0 0
日本 德国 河北 广东 山东 河南 江苏 安徽 台湾
 By the end of 2017, the total WTE plants in operation is about 303 in mainland, the
total processing capacity is 304 thousand tons / day, the total installed power
capacity is about 6280MW. There are 220 WTE plants with grate and with a total
capacity of 228 thousand tons / day, and the installed power capacity is 4380MW.

E-Power
Technology type Design capacity
Num.
（1000t/d）
（MW）

Grate furnace 220 228 4380

WTE plant CFB

83 76 1900

Subtotal 303 304 6280

④ Support the development of MSW incineration with the power generation
income

Notifications of the State Development and Reform Commission on

improving the price policy of waste incineration power generation
(price of reform [2012] No. 801)
Further regulating the price policy of waste incineration power generation
The waste incineration power generation project based on the amount of
waste disposal in the waste to energy plant. For each ton of MSW, it is
subsidized maxium 280 KWh. And carrying out the national unified
waste generation benchmark tariff of 0.65 Yuan RMB/ KWh (including
tax and the same); The rest of electricity is according to the price of
electricity from local coal-fired generators.
Changes in Waste Management Solutions to Modern incineration
instead of landfill treatment

Major changes for Haikou City

MSW treatment:
•Composting treatment in 90s of
last century
•Sanitary landfill treatment
•Incineration power generation
 Major Policies that made Waste to Energy Market

Ecological civilization: Beautiful Countryside:

Waste 3 Strategies : Reduction Focus : Improve human settlement

environment:
Recycling
Harmlessness Treatment
MSW collection service will cover 90-
MSW recycling rate will reach 35% by 100% population by 2020
2020
Sanitary toilet will cover 85% population
Source separation is promoted in by 2020
nationwide