ECOVE Wins Top-Level National Enterprise Environmental Protection Award for Contribution to Taiwan’s Sustainable Development

ECOVE was awarded the National Enterprise Environmental Protection Award for its achievements in the circular economy. Pictured here is the ECOVE team with the Minister of Environment Fuh-Sheng Shieu (fourth from the left in the back row).

ECOVE, a practitioner of resource cycling with nearly three decades of expertise in waste management, has won the 5th National Enterprise Environmental Protection Award for four best-performing energy-from-waste (EfW) plants that it operates, including Keelung, Miaoli, Houli, and Chengxi EfW Plants. Offered by Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment, the award recognizes ECOVE’s outstanding management of these EfW plants by applying new technologies, improving the resource cycling efficiency, boosting energy conservation, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which are part of ECOVE’s decision to pursue net zero emissions and support the government’s policy. 

As an official recognition given to companies that have shown exceptional performance in environmental protection, the National Enterprise Environmental Protection Award aims to inspire companies to emulate their peer’s success and thus improve the industry’s overall performance. To win the award, each candidate company is evaluated against several criteria: environmental protection policy and management; energy and resource conservation; effectiveness in pollution prevention and reduction; and environmental engagement. With circular economy as the core foundation of its business development, ECOVE is by far the only company in Taiwan that offers clients a one-stop waste treatment service, from upstream waste collection, transportation, recycle, reuse, incineration, to downstream final disposal. This award is yet another testament to ECOVE's commitment to ESG through its core expertise, as well as its exceptional achievements in optimizing the resource cycling efficiency. 

Below is an overview of each plant’s key achievements:

The Keelung Plant actively adheres to environmental policies and successfully implements pollution prevention, energy conservation, and carbon emissions reduction with exceptional performance. In terms of air pollutant reduction, the emission of sulfur oxides per ton of waste treated has decreased by approximately 9% in 2022 compared to 2021. The boiler operation rate exceeds 90%, providing stable power generation to Taiwan Power Company for power dispatching. Other notable efforts and achievements include continuous self-management of operations, zero occupational accidents at the plant, and the implementation of ESG. For five consecutive years, the plant has been awarded the Incineration Plant Inspection and Evaluation Distinction Award by the Ministry of Environment (formerly named Environmental Protection Administration).

The Miaoli Plant has successfully applied advanced technologies such as high-alloy coated furnace tubes and mobile shockwave ash cleaning, which help reduce the frequency of annual maintenance from two to one. As another testament to its successful achievement, the waste intake, disposal volume, boiler operation rate, and incineration heat load indicators all reached record high in 2022 as compared to the last five years. This not only shows that the waste disposal volume and power generation are effectively increased, but also shows that there is a decrease in carbon emissions, as well as a suppression of air pollutants such as sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. By reducing water consumption and reducing the amount of waste, this plant helps save 1,743 metric tons in carbon emissions per year.

The Houli Plant actively promotes water and electricity conservation programs. For instance, 41,000 metric tons of rainwater and wastewater is collected annually and reused for the plant process. Additionally, the plant sources part of the electric power from waste generation for the plant’s own use. It also replaced lighting fixtures and installed variable frequency devices for large motors. In 2022, the plant was the top performer among all EfW plants across the nation in the same class in terms of electricity sale from waste generation, selling 530.5 kWh of electricity per metric ton of waste. When it comes to tackling air pollution, the plant has taken active measures to reduce air pollutant emissions and improve the SNCR (selective non-catalytic reduction) system, which saw an increase in nitrogen oxide removal rate to 65% and a decrease of annual nitrogen oxide emissions by 40 tons.

Finally, in the case of Tainan Chenxi Plant, through successful plant equipment upgrade and the installation of the SNCR system, nitrogen oxide emissions have been reduced to 65 ppm in 2022. Moreover, the plant’s total power generation and power generation per unit of waste have both increased after changing air-cooled condensers and replacing old air compressors with ones that operate on variable frequency. The total power generation in 2022 has reached a new high in the last 5 years, with an increase of 3,722 MW compared to the previous year. These measures also help save an additional 1,895 metric tons in carbon emissions per year.

Looking ahead, ECOVE will adhere to the spirit of Every Resource Counts by continuing to apply innovative technologies in its projects and improve service synergy, so as to play a greater role in the circular economy.