US waste company plans new plant to turn 3,000 tons of trash into power per day

David Duong started his business 34 years ago with eight used collection trucks that he drove around Oakland. Today, he’s taking those Bay Area roots and channeling them into a $500 million environmental transformation miles away.

Founded in Oakland in 1992 by Duong, California Waste Solutions (CWS) offers municipal recycling services throughout the US. CWS also operates large-scale waste infrastructure in Vietnam through its subsidiary, Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS).

In the US, CWS serves over 343,000 customers across Oakland and San Jose, using advanced recycling technology such as AI and optical sorting.

Through its subsidiary, the firm operates a large waste complex in Ho Chi Minh City. As per the latest announcements, CWS is investing over $500 million in a new waste-to-energy plant and a 1,760-hectare green industrial park to help Vietnam reach its 2050 goal.

“Investing heavily in the places you operate is one of the core differentiators of California Waste Solutions and its Vietnamese subsidiary. It’s not just something we do: it’s part of our core values,” said Duong, Founder and CEO of CWS.

Current infrastructure

CWS has 6 facilities in the Bay Area. The company is also modernizing its local operations with the installation of optical sorters, artificial intelligence scanning, and expanded curbside household battery collection.

But CWS’s footprint scale is different in Southeast Asia. VWS handles about 4,960–5,510 tons (4,500 to 5,000 metric tons) per day at the 128-hectare Da Phuoc Integrated Waste Treatment Complex in Ho Chi Minh City, about half of the city’s current output. Da Phuoc, with a capacity of 11,023 tons (10,000 metric tons) a day, remains the only Vietnamese site that meets U.S. EPA sanitary landfill standards.

The Da Phuoc complex is a closed-loop system that is intended to increase resource recovery and reduce its environmental impact. The methane gas recovered from the landfill is used to produce up to 12 megawatts of electricity to run the facility.

Wastewater is treated in a membrane bioreactor plant that handles 3,000 cubic meters each day, and the treated water is then recycled for washing vehicles and for on-site irrigation. The facility also obtains resources directly from the waste by processing about 661 tons (600 metric tons) of recyclables and organic compost every day. For the purpose of controlling odors, drones spray biological treatment products over the site, thus protecting the workers from direct contact with chemicals.

Waste-to-energy expansion

VWS is now at the stage of obtaining the necessary permits for a new waste-to-energy plant in Ho Chi Minh City. The project involves an investment of over $500 million and will process 3,000 tons of waste each day, producing 60 megawatts of clean electricity with G7 and G8 technology.

The plant’s reduction of post-incineration residue to about 5 percent and the recycling of that ash into construction materials will directly contribute to both Vietnam’s national Net Zero 2050 targets and Ho Chi Minh City’s Net Zero 2030 vision.

“We are really excited about the new waste-to-energy plant expansion, having already proved that it works at a much smaller level over the past few years for our own plant,” said Michael Duong, president of California Waste Solutions.

Construction is set to start as soon as the investment policy approvals are finalized, with operations anticipated to begin within 18 to 24 months.

Source: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-firm-proposes-waste-to-energy-project