"The Muang Ban Phru 4.9-megawatt power plant project is proceeding fast because it is being set up according to the road map. The location is ready and there are no communities within a 5-kilometre radius," he said, adding that Songkhla's second waste-to-energy power plant should be up and running by 2017.
P&C Group is currently holding public hearings for this Bt600-million project, while SBANG Corporation is coming up with a design for an environmentally friendly plant. Construction should begin by yearend, he added.
Since the dumpsite comes within the territory of Tambon Ban Rai Municipality, the two municipalities will cooperate and have made agreements, that include the waiver of garbage-collection fees for Ban Rai, he said.
Tambon Ban Rai mayor Weerapong Kuakul said the Ban Phru dumpsite would apply four disposal methods: sorting out solid waste; fermenting biological waste; incinerating; and using the landfill.
Saying that this disposal plan also comes with a plan to cut down on municipal waste at the source, and recycling, he said there should be no problems if things go ahead as planned. As the area comes under Ban Rai's jurisdiction, it has the authority to close any plant if there are any serious mistakes.