Power from waste and biomass | WtE expands in Asia As recent projects reported by SUS and Valmet suggest
Waste-to-Energy (WtE) has emerged as an important technology for addressing Thailand’s dual challenges of navigating the energy transition and managing urban waste. Some 39 WtE plants are currently at various stages of development/ operation.
It is therefore no surprise that Thailand was the first overseas destination for Chinese WtE technology provider SUS. At the time, the market, though nascent, was dominated by established local players. Leveraging technological innovation as its core strength, SUS says it adopted a long- term strategy: establishing a locally registered entity and setting up representative offices to deepen its presence.
SUS has now supplied equipment for 12 of Thailand’s waste incineration lines, capturing approximately 35% of the market share. The company says its proprietary large-grate technology ensures high combustion efficiency, superior thermal stability, and a low loss-on- ignition rate of residue formation. Furthermore, says SUS, the adoption of digital twin technology allows real-time operational optimisation and meaningful data accumulation, making “waste incineration safer, greener, and more efficient.” As well as offering innovative technology, SUS notes that it operates a 50 000 m2
Visualisation of Nonthaburi EfW power plant, currently under construction in Thailand. Source: SUS
manufacturing
centre with an annual production capacity of 200 grate systems, coupled with an after-sales service providing a 2-hour response time and on-site support within 48 hours. This integrated “technology + manufacturing + service” model has “gained strong recognition in the Thai market,” according to SUS.
In 2024, SUS acquired “local leader” Super Earth Energy 1 and subsequently construction started on the Nonthaburi WtE plant. Overall, SUS says it has invested in and constructed 90 waste-to-energy projects, with a daily processing capacity of nearly 120 000 tonnes of municipal solid waste and annual green power generation of about 18 000 GWh, while “its equipment and technology are applied in 300 waste-to-energy plants across the world.”
Valmet in Taiwan and South Korea Meanwhile, in Taiwan, Valmet is to deliver a waste and biomass fuelled CFB boiler to Cheng Loong Corporation’s Houli paper mill, together with flue gas treatment and automation system. The boiler will use various waste and biomass streams as fuel to produce electricity and heat for the mill. The new boiler represents a significant investment in mill decarbonisation as it will enable a reduction in coal usage and replaces an older, less efficient, waste boiler. Cheng Loong Corporation has estimated that this new boiler will reduce the mill’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by 48 000 tonnes. “Together with Valmet, we are jointly building the largest biomass energy cogeneration system
in Taiwan, at CLC’s flagship Houli mill…With this investment the Houli mill will be able to significantly reduce carbon emissions and increase the proportion of non-fossil fuels it burns to more than 30 percent,” said Charles Chang, President, Cheng Loong Corporation. The boiler is designed for high fuel flexibility, able to use both industrial and municipal waste streams (RDF, SRF and TDF), as well as biomass, as fuel.
Circulating fluidised bed boiler technology, when operated with high steam parameters, enables significantly higher electricity production per unit of waste fuel compared to traditional waste combustion technologies, says Valmet. “This order is a great example of how we can combine our core boiler and emission control technologies and automation to deliver high performance and flexibility. Thanks to the extensive experience we’ve gained through our own R&D centre and previous projects, we’re well equipped to handle challenging fuels — including a wide variety of waste streams,” says Niina Ollikka, Vice President, Boilers and Gasifier Solutions, Valmet.
Visualisation of the Seongnam incineration facility currently under construction in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Source: GS E&C/Valmet
by GS E&C Corp, the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the facility. By leveraging intelligent automation, says Valmet, the plant will optimise energy production, minimise emissions, and deliver efficient, consistent performance throughout its entire lifecycle. The technology will also give operators complete visibility and control over every stage of the waste-to-energy process.
As well as the CFB boiler, Valmet’s scope on this project includes flue gas treatment systems. The boiler will have a fuel capacity of 107 MW and is optimised for overall thermal efficiency. Low emissions are achieved thanks to the flue gas treatment system, which includes pre-separator, additive injection, bag house filters and selective catalytic reduction, notes Valmet. In South Korea, Valmet is to deliver an automation system to Seongnam city’s new incineration facility currently under construction in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. The order was placed
38 | January/February 2026 |
www.modernpowersystems.com
The Seongnam incineration facility is designed to improve local waste management and produce renewable energy. Equipped with two incineration lines with stoker-type boilers, the facility will be able to process up to 500 tonnes of municipal waste per day and generate up to 9.9 megawatts of clean electricity. Commercial operation is scheduled to begin early 2028.
Valmet’s scope includes a distributed control system and an information management system for control of the two stoker-type boilers, along with a web-based Valmet DNAe user interface in the control room. The control system scope also covers the balance of plant portion of the new incineration facility, including engineering, design, commissioning, and supervision services.
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