XN000022-1979-03-12 — Page 4

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MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1979

HONG KONG'S FIRST REFUSE BALING PLANT OPENED

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HONG KONG'S FIRST HIGH DENSITY SOLID WASTE BALING PLANT AT SAI TSO WAN IN EAST KOWLOON BEGAN A 12-MONTH TRIAL RUN TODAY (MONDAY) FOLLOWING ITS OPENING BY THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, MR. DAVID STEAD.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR. STEAD SAID THE OPENING OF THE $16 MILLION PLANT MARKED ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN THE FULFILMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S 10-YEAR PROGRAMME FOR DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTES.

HE SAID THAT HIGH DENSITY BALING WAS A TREATMENT PROCESS WHEREBY REFUSE WAS COMPACTED IN A HYDRAULIC PRESS TO FORM BALES OF ABOUT 1-1/2 CUBIC METRES IN VOLUME AND 1-1/2 TONNES IN WEIGHT.

THE REFUSE TREATED WOULD THEREFORE BE MORE CONVENIENT FOR TRANSPORTATION BY ROAD, RAIL OR SEA TO CONTROLLED TIPPING SITES.

ALSO. THE DENSE BALES PRODUCED WOULD TAKE UP LESS SPACE IN THE CONTROLLED TIP THAN REFUSE IN ITS LOOSE STATE, HE ADDED.

MR. STEAD SAID THE BALING OF REFUSE WAS USED SUCCESSFULLY IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT WAS TRIED OUT IN HONG KONG.

+DURING THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, HE ADDED, +EXTENSIVE TRIALS WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO ESTABLISH WHAT CONTRIBUTION THIS PROCESS CAN MAKE IN DEALING WITH OUR EVER-GROWING REFUSE DISPOSAL PROBLEM AND WHETHER IT IS WORTHWHILE DEVELOPING A MORE PERMANENT

INSTALLATION.

THE PLANT, WHEN FULLY OPERATIONAL, IS CAPABLE OF HANDLING 600 TONNES OF REFUSE A DAY.

MR. STEAD SAID THAT UNDER THE 10-YEAR PROGRAMME A COMPOSTING PLANT WAS BEING BUILT AT CHAI WAN. IT WOULD BE READY IN A FEW MONTHS.

ACCORDING TO A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY CARRIED OUT BEFORE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL BY BALING AND COMPOSTING IS SANITARY AND DOES NOT CAUSE POLLUTION PROBLEMS.

SAI TSO WAN BALING PLANT WILL BE OPERATED BY THE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL OFFICE OF PWD.

AMONG THOSE PRESENT AT TODAY'S OPENING CEREMONY WERE THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEER, MR. G.J. OSBORNE AND THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL ENGINEER, MR. M.K. WONG.

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