Ningbo model powers Uzbekistan's first waste-to-energy plant

Mingzhou Municipal Waste-to-Energy Facility in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Yongpai app]

A waste-to-energy plant under construction in Uzbekistan's Kashkadarya region is adopting design and operational standards pioneered at Ningbo's Mingzhou Municipal Waste-to-Energy Facility project, highlighting how Chinese environmental engineering is being adapted abroad.

The Kashkadarya project — developed by SUS Environment's international arm — draws heavily from Ningbo's Mingzhou plant, one of China's early facilities designed for ultra-low emissions in waste incineration. According to project executive Zhang Liang, the Ningbo plant has served as a replicable model, from engineering design and construction to equipment installation and commissioning.

The Mingzhou facility is known for meeting emission levels well below both Chinese national standards and EU requirements. It also features real-time carbon monitoring, achieves near-zero wastewater discharge, and converts bottom ash into reusable materials for eco-friendly construction products. These standards are now being extended to two projects in Uzbekistan, including in the Kashkadarya and Samarkand regions.

Unlike China's increasingly advanced waste management systems, Uzbekistan still relies heavily on landfilling, with recycling rates estimated at just 4 to 5 percent. The new Kashkadarya plant, expected to be operational by the end of this year, will become the country's first waste-to-energy facility. It is designed to process more than 500,000 metric tons of municipal waste annually, generate approximately 342 million kWh of electricity, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 180,000 tons each year.

Engineers have adapted the system to local conditions, modifying incineration and flue-gas treatment equipment to withstand extreme weather and integrating user interfaces in local languages to simplify operation and reduce costs. Each of the two Uzbekistan projects is expected to create about 800 direct and indirect jobs.

Zhang said the Ningbo experience demonstrates how localized Chinese solutions can be scaled globally, combining waste reduction, energy recovery, and pollution control in a single system.