Ho Chi Minh City to pilot medical waste treatment with ‘subcritical water’

A cooperation agreement on the treatment technology was signed on Tuesday between Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment Company and Greenmed Ecotech Company.

Le Cong Phuong, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment Company, said his company currently treats more than 3,000 metric tons of household waste and 25-30 metric tons of medical, hazardous, and industrial waste daily.

Medical waste is collected and transported to the Dong Thanh treatment plant, where it is incinerated using technology imported from the United States and Belgium.

“With Ho Chi Minh City’s current growth rate and environmental requirements, we are researching advanced and sustainable waste treatment technologies,” Phuong said.

He added that the new system will be imported for testing, data collection, and evaluation before authorities consider wider deployment.

Nguyen Nhi Phong, director of Greenmed Ecotech, said more than 90 percent of waste in Vietnam is still treated through landfills, causing serious pollution to soil and water resources.

Meanwhile, incineration technologies generate harmful emissions such as dioxins and carbon dioxide, he said.

Ho Chi Minh City alone produces between 14,000 and 16,000 metric tons of waste every day.

The new ‘subcritical water’ technology uses water at boiling temperatures and high pressure to break down organic waste into basic elements including hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen without generating emissions, according to the company.

After decomposition, remaining materials such as plastic and nylon are dried and compressed into biomass pellets that can be used as fuel instead of coal.

Inorganic materials including iron, steel, and metals are automatically separated and sorted by the system.

Officials said the process operates in a closed-loop cycle, allowing water used during treatment to be recycled for subsequent processing batches.

Vietnam is currently the second country after Japan to apply the technology, the company representative said.

Following the signing event, the treatment system will be installed at the Dong Thanh landfill, with the initial phase prioritizing medical and hazardous waste due to urgent environmental concerns.

If the six-month pilot proves successful, the companies plan to expand the technology to treat household waste, Phong said.

The move comes as Ho Chi Minh City faces mounting pressure on waste management following the administrative expansion that incorporated the former provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The city has been accelerating plans for waste-to-energy projects and other environmentally friendly treatment methods.

Under Ho Chi Minh City’s 2025-30 environmental targets, more than 90 percent of waste is expected to be processed through waste-to-energy plants or other green technologies.