Seoul says its 5th incinerator will become a landmark

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Seoul says its 5th incinerator will become a landmark

A concept image of a new waste incinerator to be built in Seoul [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

A concept image of a new waste incinerator to be built in Seoul [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

 
Seoul announced Wednesday that it will build a new waste incinerator by 2026 and make it into a city landmark.
 
The city government held a press conference Wednesday to announce the new incinerator for municipal waste.
 
In addition to the four incineration plants already in the capital — in Yangcheon, Nowon, Gangnam and Mapo — Seoul announced it will add another by 2026. An independent committee will choose the site in September.
 
According to the city government, the four plants operating in Seoul incinerate around 2,200 tons of waste per day. That is not enough for the household waste generated by its 9.5 million residents, and some 1,000 tons is being buried in the Sudokwon landfill in Incheon.
 
Following a ban on burying municipal waste in landfills in the greater capital region that goes into effect in 2026, Seoul needs a new incinerator.
 
In 2019, the city twice attempted to find a site for an incineration plant but failed. Since Dec. 2020, it organized a committee of resident representatives, experts and city councilors to promote the construction of an incinerator that can incinerate 1,000-tons of waste daily. The committee selected 36 candidate sites, with at least one in each of Seoul’s 25 districts. No districts voluntarily applied.
 
Conscious of the prevalent Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) attitude, Seoul said it will make the new waste incinerator attractive in terms of its design, eventually making it a city landmark.
 
Under the plan, the entire incinerator will be built underground, while a cultural complex with a design chosen through an international contest will be constructed above it. The high chimney of the incinerator — usually considered an eyesore — will have an observatory, a revolving restaurant and rides.
 
Seoul is trying to cite similar projects overseas.
 
The Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant in Copenhagen has a ski slope and a climbing wall that attract visitors. Taipei City’s Beitou Refuse Incineration Plant is equipped with an observation deck and a revolving restaurant.
 
The city is also promising incentives to neighbors. It will invest about 100 billion won to bring in facilities like a library or an indoor gymnasium, while offering an annual supporting fund of 10 billion won to be used for residents' welfare, including apartment management and heating bills.
 
“It is a reality that a waste incinerator is an unwanted facility for residents, but still it is a facility that is needed, and thus we decided to hold a briefing session to ask for citizens’ cooperation,” explained Yoo Yeon-sik, Deputy Mayor of Climate & Environment Headquarters of Seoul.
 
“The four plants in Seoul are also aging, and we are working on ways to modernize and provide more benefits,” Yoo added.
 
“We will build the new waste plant as one of the best landmarks in the world and make it an example of how to make a preferred facility from an unpreferred facility,” said Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
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