Singapore could announce in the coming months plans to recycle incinerated ash for other purposes, in a bid to reduce waste headed to the country’s only offshore landfill, says Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit on July 26, Fu says the government is “exploring other uses” for incineration ash, and she is “quite hopeful” a decision will be reached “within a few months”.
Fu highlights the use of NEWSand, or repurposed municipal solid waste, which her predecessor Masagos Zulkifli unveiled in 2019. NEWSand was used to construct a temporary 105m-long footpath at Our Tampines Hub and a 3D-printed concrete bench.
The government is also exploring ways to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill, which is projected to reach capacity in 2035. “It’s not just new ashes that’s going to Semakau; we’re thinking about mining the entire Semakau to recover the ashes for a second lease of life,” says Fu to Bloomberg Television anchor Haslinda Amin.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announced in November 2021 a year-long feasibility study starting 1Q2022 to use incinerated ash and other waste materials from the landfill for reclamation works in the third phase of Tuas Port’s development.
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In response to queries by The Edge Singapore, NEA and MPA say they have been working together to study the feasibility of recovering and processing landfilled incineration ash and other non-incinerable wastes from Semakau Landfill as alternative fill material for use at Tuas Port Phase 3.
“The study also involves institutes of higher learning and consultants, and will continue into 2024 with some preliminary indications on the viability of the project expected by end-2023 or early next year,” reads the joint reply on Aug 3.
In Singapore, waste that is not segregated at source is collected and sent to the waste-to-energy plants for incineration.
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According to the NEA, incineration reduces the volume of solid waste by about 90%. Meanwhile, the heat produces steam that propels turbine-generators to generate electricity, providing up to 3% of Singapore’s electricity needs.
The ash residues from the incineration process are sent to the Tuas Marine Transfer Station and, together with non-incinerable waste, are barged over to Semakau Landfill for disposal.
In 2021, the landfill received an average of 2,098 tonnes of incineration ash and non-incinerable waste each day.
