Public Incineration Facilities to See Installation Period Cut by 3 Years and 6 Months; Investment Review Exempted for 20 Sites After Over a Decade-Long Wait

Nationwide Ban on Direct Landfill of Municipal Solid Waste by 2030
Site Selection and Basic Planning Stages Shortened by 12 and 11 Months, Respectively

The government will shorten the installation period for public incineration facilities from the current 11 years and 8 months to as little as 8 years and 2 months. With the nationwide ban on direct landfill of municipal solid waste set for 2030, the government plans to rapidly expand public waste treatment facilities in advance to prevent a waste crisis and minimize regional conflicts.

On May 22, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced the "Plan for Early Expansion of Public Incineration Facilities" at the Economic Ministers' Meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Strategy and Finance Koo Yoon-cheol at the Government Complex Seoul. According to the government, the maximum reduction in project duration will be 3 years and 6 months. The site selection stage will be shortened from 30 months to 18 months, while the basic planning and administrative procedure stage will be reduced from 38 months to 27 months. The design stage will be shortened from 24 months to 17 months, and the construction stage from 48 months to 36 months.

The reason behind the government's move to shorten the installation period for public incineration facilities is that the current ban on direct landfill of municipal solid waste in the metropolitan area will be fully implemented in non-metropolitan regions starting in 2030. This system prohibits the direct landfilling of municipal solid waste contained in standard waste bags without sorting or incineration. The government has determined that it is urgent to resolve the shortage of incineration facilities before the nationwide implementation. In fact, as of 2024, in non-metropolitan areas, 1.26 million tons, or 25%, of the 5.02 million tons of municipal solid waste are still disposed of by landfill. Incineration accounts for 53%, and recycling for 22%.

The government will first accelerate projects by reducing administrative procedures. For the 20 public incineration facility projects across the country whose business plans have been finalized as of this year, the government will exempt them from the local fiscal investment review. The targets include projects by local governments in Bucheon, Uijeongbu, Gimpo, Sejong, Jeonju, and Daegu, both in the metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. The local fiscal investment review is a process that evaluates the appropriateness and necessity of budgets for large-scale projects. Normally, this process takes several months due to the size of the projects, but by granting an exemption, the government aims to minimize project delays. The government will continue to grant such exemptions for five years through 2030.

The government will also simplify the design and permitting procedures. Previously, the design adequacy was reviewed multiple times during the basic and detailed design stages. From now on, if the project scope and total cost do not change, some review procedures will be omitted. Design and various permits will be carried out simultaneously to further reduce the timeline. Compensation for residents will also be strengthened to minimize opposition. The surcharge for waste treatment fees collected for handling waste from other regions will be raised from 10% to 20%. The funds thus raised will be used for resident support programs, such as building gyms or cultural facilities near incineration plants, or for resident welfare projects.

On the morning of the 2nd, when the direct landfill ban for metropolitan area municipal solid waste was fully enforced, the metropolitan landfill site in Seo-gu, Incheon, was quiet. Photo by Yonhap News

The scope of financial support will also be expanded. Previously, support was focused mainly on installation costs for incineration facilities, but going forward, government funding will also cover demolition costs for existing facilities and land acquisition costs. This will reduce the initial financial burden on local governments. In terms of project delivery, the government will prioritize support for the "turnkey" contract method, in which design and construction are contracted together. Unlike the conventional method, where construction firms are selected after the design is completed, the turnkey approach allows both processes to proceed simultaneously, shortening the project timeline. The government is also considering expanding fixed-sum grant projects, in which the amount of government funding is determined in advance.

In addition, the Ministry of Climate, local governments, and experts will establish and operate the "Public Incineration Facility Expansion Support Group" to directly manage bottlenecks in individual projects. Major procedures, such as environmental impact assessments and integrated environmental permits, will also be managed as priority review items. Minister Kim Seong-hwan of the Ministry of Climate stated, "Securing a timely public waste treatment infrastructure is key to ensuring that the principle of local waste treatment works effectively on the ground," adding, "We will continue to address on-site issues to ensure the 2030 direct landfill ban is implemented without a hitch."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.