Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan today attended the topping-out ceremony of O · PARK2, the Environmental Protection Department's Organic Resources Recovery Centre Phase 2.

The facility is expected to open in 2024 and will be able to handle 300 tonnes of food waste per day.

Noting that O · PARK2 is the second organic resources recovery centre in Hong Kong, Mr Tse said today's ceremony marked a new milestone in the food waste recycling network, which will double the overall processing capacity of local food waste recycling.

The current overall food waste treatment capability in the city, from the centre's phase one called O · PARK1 and the Food Waste/Sewage Sludge Anaerobic Co-digestion Trial Scheme at the Tai Po Sewage Treatment Works, is about 250 tonnes per day.

Together with the same trial scheme at the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works which will come into operation in 2023, Hong Kong's overall food waste treatment capacity is expected to increase to 600 tonnes daily upon O · PARK2's opening.

In 2020, there were around 3,200 tonnes of food waste disposed at landfills in Hong Kong per day, representing about 30% of local municipal solid waste.

The Government announced in 2021 the Waste Blueprint for Hong Kong 2035 which sets out the vision of "Waste Reduction‧Resources Circulation‧Zero Landfill".

To achieve the goal of zero landfill, the Government will continue to develop waste-to-energy facilities, with a view to progressively replacing the disposal of municipal solid waste in landfills.

The measures include the expansion of the organic resources recovery centres to raise food waste treatment capacity, alleviate pressure and odour problem of landfills, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

O · PARK2 will convert food waste into electricity and fertiliser with anaerobic digestion technology to recycle food waste into renewable energy. It is estimated that about 67,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced each year.

In addition, O · PARK2 will generate electricity with biogas during operation, providing renewable energy for Hong Kong and reducing electricity generation by fossil fuels. It will also reduce organic waste to be disposed in landfills to help cut down on carbon emissions.