Seoul picks Mapo for big new garbage incinerator

A map showing the candidate site for a new incinerator plant to be built in Sangam-dong, Mapo District in western Seoul [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul City chose Sangam-dong in western Mapo District as the site of a big waste incineration plant — despite the fact that one exists there already.

And Mapo district thinks the plan stinks.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it will erect a new resource recovery facility — its polite name for a garbage incinerator — in 2026 on a parking lot near the existing Mapo facility in Sangam-dong in western Seoul.

The construction will be completed by the end of 2026 and operations will begin in 2027. The existing plant will be demolished in 2035 and be converted into a park.

From 2027 to 2035, the district of Mapo will have two incinerators.

The Mapo Resource Recovery Facility currently incinerates up to 750 tons of municipal waste generated by five districts of Seoul, including Jongno, Jung, Yongsan, Seodaemun and Mapo.

According to the city government, all four plants in the capital — in Yangcheon, Nowon, Gangnam and Mapo — 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.

The waste disposal capacity of the new facility will be 1,000 tons per day, which is up 250 tons from Mapo's existing facility.

For the new Sangam-dong plant, the city plans a high-quality pollution control system with emission standards ten times higher than the legal standard. The plant itself and access roads will be built underground. The operation of facilities will be automated by applying artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

“Near the candidate site of Sangam-dong, there is the Haneul Park, Noeul Park, Nanjicheon Park, as well as the well-loved Han River,” Yoo Yeon-sik, Deputy Mayor of Climate & Environment Headquarters of Seoul, told reporters on Wednesday. “We will develop the new resource recovery facility into an attraction that fits in well with nearby parks and the waterfront.”

According to the Site Selection Committee comprised of neighborhood representatives, experts and city councilors, the Sangam-dong area was rated high in all site-selection evaluation criteria. In particular, it got good marks for having no residences within 300 meters of the incinerator.

Following the city’s announcement, Mapo District immediately demanded a complete withdrawal of the plan.

“Despite Mapo District operating a 750-ton resource recovery facility since 2005, [...] the city’s decision is a major violation of local equity while forcing residents to make greater sacrifices,” Park Kang-soo, the district chief of Mapo, said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“I express serious concern and regret for the city’s unilateral procedure without any prior consultation.”

The city is also promising incentives to neighbors. It will invest about 100 billion won ($74.4 million) 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.

During construction, the city will hold a briefing session for people in the area and continue to canvas their opinions through a community council.

Seoul can prevent a possible garbage crisis if it constructs a new incinerator in Mapo District. Following a ban on burying municipal waste in landfills in the greater capital region that goes into effect in 2026, Seoul will have to either select and recycle the waste or burn it in an incinerator.

“A metropolitan resource recovery facility is a facility needed by Seoul citizens,” Mayor Oh Se-hoon said.

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