To organize and foster 'Green Growth' is the greatest challenge of our time' said Heinrich Seul, President and CEO of CBE Asian Waste Solutions in his keynote speech opening a forum on 'Inclusive Green Growth', February 1st in Chiang Mai.
'Renewable energy systems must do more than just generate energy without fossil fuels. Hydropower must not deplete but foster aquatic life, solar farms must not compete with but enhance subsistence farmers livelihoods and waste-to-energy must be made clean', he said.
Seul pointed out a dilemma that private sector 'Waste-to-Energy' projects were the main driver in installing waste infrastructure in the region. But having to live from energy sales burning wet, organic rich waste of inconsistent characteristics open to any source, projects were under cost pressure to save on process quality and pollution control.
More often than not, developers seem to assume suppliers to be responsible for plant performance and fail to engage in proper project planning conducting waste assessments, feasibility studies, output specifications, technology benchmarking, proper project alignment. Jumping to purchase unprepared or being sales driven from the start many projects collapse or under perform.
'We need Waste-to-Energy projects to serve as a 'sink' for pollutants - not redistribute hazardous chemicals or heavy metals back to the environment. That is why we call upon the public sector to initiate a competition for quality in private sector WtE projects', said Seul.
The forum was held with the 5th GMS Environment Ministers’ Meeting (EMM- 5) on 30 January to 1 February 2018 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Every 3 years the environment ministers from the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries gather to review progress and set the agenda for environmental cooperation in the region under the GMS Economic Cooperation Program. GMS member countries are: China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
CBE Thailand Co., Ltd. is a waste project engineering consultancy firm based in Bangkok since 2002. www.cbethai.com. The company of German Engineers with 30 years of success in more than 250 projects provides independent engineering consulting and guidance to developers, owners and investors to build, own and operate waste projects that are profitable and clean.
Heinrich Seul, CBE keynote speaker to Greater Mekong Subregion's '5th Environmental Minster's Meeting, Chiang Mai, January 2018
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