A company in Ho Chi Minh City has, for the first time ever, used solar energy to fuel the operation of a wastewater treatment plant.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on Saturday led a delegation to visit and review the operation of the Tham Luong-Ben Cat wastewater treatment plant in An Phu Dong Ward, District 12.

According to Le Thanh, director of Phu Dien Construction Investment And Trading JSC, which carries out project, about 10,000 to 15,000 cubic meters of liquid waste is treated at the facility on a daily basis.

The factory’s capacity is 131,000 cubic meters per day, Thanh added.

A delegation led by Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan (L, 3rd) visits the factory on October 21, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A solar power system with the capacity of between 1.25 and 1.3 megawatts has been used to supply energy to the treatment plant, he continued, adding that this is the first model to be applied in Vietnam.

Using the sequencing batch reactors (SBR) technology, the plant is able to properly treat nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in wastewater without requiring a lot of space. 

During the first phase of the project, the factory covers an area of about 2.3 hectares, aimed at dealing with liquid waste in Go Vap District, and several parts of Binh Thanh District and District 12.

However, the plant has only been operating at 10 to 15 percent of its full capacity due to problems in the collection of wastewater.

Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, hailed the efforts of Phu Dien Company and the positive results of the plant’s operations.

Employees examine the wastewater treatment process at the facility. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Liem requested the municipal Department of Planning and Investment to coordinate with relevant agencies to deal with existing issues regarding the waste collection process.

The model can also be applied to other areas, he added.

According to Secretary Nhan, the new model and technology help minimize costs and space while maximizing the efficiency of the waste treatment process.

The official called on competent bodies to carry out relevant projects to help the factory reach its designed capacity.

All activities have been monitored by the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Nhan said, adding that local residents are also allowed to join the supervision.

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