CHON BURI: Pattaya City is set to begin operation of a long-delayed waste incinerator on Koh Lan in mid-August, to tackle a waste crisis that has plagued the island for over a decade and hurt its tourism appeal.
Pattaya mayor Poramet Ngampichet said the incinerator project, now in the final stages of preparation, will begin trial operations at the end of June and is expected to start work by mid-August.
The facility is designed to dispose of both newly generated and accumulated waste -- estimated at over 100,000 tonnes -- that has overwhelmed the island's waste management system since 2016.
The waste backlog stems from years of inadequate transport infrastructure, he said. Ageing and damaged refuse barges made it impossible to regularly ship rubbish to the mainland, resulting in garbage piling up across a 12-rai site near Khao Nom and Samae Beach.
The rotting mounds have triggered widespread complaints from residents and tourists alike over health concerns and damage to the island's ecological and scenic value, he said.
Koh Lan, a key eco-tourism destination 7.5 kilometres offshore from Pattaya, draws 5 million visitors annually. With just 2,000 residents and limited public utilities, the island has struggled to keep up with the growing influx, generating up to 50 tonnes of waste per day in peak periods, far beyond its handling capacity.
In response, the Pattaya City Council approved a 3-million-baht budget for a waste management master plan from King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok in 2020.
This led to the approval of a 25-year waste-to-energy project involving private sector investment and incineration technology that meets environmental standards.
Built in May last year, the twin incinerators, using gasification and dual-stage combustion at temperatures above 600°C and 800°C respectively, aim to process around 70,000 tonnes of existing waste over 10 years, while also handling daily refuse output, he said.
"The project's financial model sets the processing cost at 1,900 baht per tonne, increasing by 10% every five years, with a total long-term investment of over 934 million baht," he said.
Mayor Poramet said the facility will not only help restore Koh Lan's image as a pristine tourist destination, but also generate reusable byproducts that may be developed into CSR materials such as eco-bricks in the future.
"This incinerator is a crucial solution for Koh Lan's waste crisis," he said. "If all goes as planned, we'll finally begin a serious clean-up of what has long threatened one of Pattaya's last remaining natural treasures."