Sludge Treatment

​Urban, prosperous and diverse, Hong Kong embodies the quintessential modern city in every aspect, including its large volumes of sewage sludge. With a vision to promote circular economy, Veolia offers an effective solution for Hong Kong’s sludge problem and a truly unique, next-generation sludge treatment concept.

Traditionally, all sewage sludge in Hong Kong goes to the landfills, putting pressure on the waste handling capacity of a city where three landfills serve the needs of more than 7 million inhabitants. Hong Kong needs transformative solutions not only to optimise its waste reduction and management, but to propel the city towards greater sustainability and resilience. 

The Veolia Solution

One of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced sludge treatment facilities

 The facility is fully energy and water self-sufficient: the thermal energy from incineration generates enough electricity to power the entire Plant and be allocated for public use, and a seawater desalination plant on site produces 600m³ of drinking water per day, fulfilling all of the plant’s water usage needs. A wastewater recycling circuit avoids discharging effluents into the sea. During the sludge treatment process, it could produce up to 14 MW of electricity which is more than the site needs to operate. The excess electricity produced is therefore distributed on the public network.

As a result of the incineration, 90% of the sludge volume is being reduced, easing the pressure on Hong Kong’s landfills.

Art of Living

Veolia asked the French architecture firm, Claude Vasconi to propose a highly innovative architectural concept for the seven-hectare complex. Inspired by the local landscape, the building, situated between waves and hills, blends in with the environment.

Dedicated to create a harmony with the environment, the facility is covered by 70% of green area, equipped with many public facilities, such as visitor gallery, lecture theatre, and cafeteria with sea view, as well as spa pools, footbaths and observation platform under the roof of the building to admire the view of Deep Bay and Shenzhen.

Key Figures