Save this picture! Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant. Image Courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Gottlieb Paludan

The world's largest waste-to-energy plant by Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Gottlieb Paludan is set to open next year on the outskirts of Shenzhen, China. The new plant is made to handle 5000 tons of waste per day within a simple, clean, and iconic structure. It will incinerate waste and generate power while teaching residents about the waste-energy cycle. The project aims to showcase new developments in China's waste-to-energy sector and share them with the world.

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Save this picture! Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant. Image Courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Gottlieb Paludan

With a population of 20 million, Shenzhen produces 15,000 tonnes of waste a day, a number that is increasing approximately 7% per year. To counteract this, Shenzhen Energy's new plant not only uses the most advanced technological processes in waste incineration but also act as a source of education for the citizens of the city. In a single day, the plant will handle roughly one third of the waste generated by Shenzhen's inhabitants.

Save this picture! Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant. Image Courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen and Gottlieb Paludan

Public visitors are invited into the plant through a landscaped park via an entrance bridge that rises between the stacks to an entrance lobby and visitor center overlooking the plant machinery.

The building features a circular form to control the footprint of the structure and the amount of excavation required to build on the site. The scheme organizes the entire plant, including auxiliary buildings, into one structure - breaking with the traditional rectangular layout of industrial facilities. The 66,000m2 roof is designed to be covered by up to 44,000m2 of photo-voltaic panels providing the opportunity for the plant to not only provide a cleaner way to deal with the city’s waste but also contribute to the renewable energy provision for the city.

Detailed design work began in early 2016, and the plant is scheduled to go live in 2020.