Transforming waste into renewable energy at Hong Kong’s T-PARK treatment facility

The project integrates a power station, spa resort and a sludge treatment facility. With its architecturally distinctive wave-like façade, the facility is the first of its kind in Hong Kong, and one of the largest sludge incinerators in the world.

It utilises fluidised bed incineration technology, capable of burning 2,000 tonnes of daily sludge, using the excess heat energy to generate electricity. At full operational capacity, an excess of 2MW of power is available every day. The building was completed in late 2014 with operation commencing in early 2015.

Waste to energy

T·PARK incinerates the sludge produced at Hong Kong’s 11 sewage treatment works, with the foul wet sludge that would otherwise be dumped in landfill reduced to ash, representing a reduction of about 90% by mass.

As the sludge burns, energy is conducted in the form of steam which is then transformed into electricity to power the plant’s operation. When running at full capacity, it can produce up to 2MW of surplus electricity for the public power grid. This means that not only is the T·PARK entirely self-sufficient, it also supplies its surplus electricity back into the electricity grid. Through the sophisticated flue gas treatment methods, any remaining air output is clean for environmental emission.

BIM

The design followed a Building Information Modelling (BIM) process that established complex three-dimensional models for coordination, drawings production, operational and maintenance simulation, as well as material take-off for the design and construction of the facility. It has facilitated the design, analysis and coordination throughout the project - from delivery routes for major equipment, pipe layout and routing through to the positioning of the plant during construction on site.