Additional Construction of Waste Incineration Plant in Sangam-dong, Mapo Sparks Opposition from Seoul Seonam Energy Construction Union
As the heatwave continues, officials from the Seoul Climate and Environment Headquarters are sweating it out day after day.
The Seoul Climate and Environment Headquarters has been struggling for over a year with the issue of constructing a waste incineration plant in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu. On the 13th, the Seoul Energy Corporation labor union raised allegations of "preferential treatment in the construction of the Seoul Southwest District Heating and Cooling Plant" and announced plans to file complaints against the First Deputy Mayor of Seoul and current and former heads of the Climate and Environment Headquarters, drawing attention.
Since last year, the Seoul Climate and Environment Headquarters has been in conflict with residents of Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu over the construction of the waste incineration plant, and an administrative lawsuit is currently underway.
Meanwhile, Seoul is conducting an environmental impact assessment. During this process, residents of Mapo-gu have reportedly expressed opposition, claiming that Seoul promised to involve residents in the evaluation of air and water quality but has failed to keep that promise.
The city is expected to hold public hearings and other events by the end of the year following the environmental impact assessment, and it appears that the project will proceed with design and construction according to the original schedule.
However, Mapo-gu residents continue to maintain the stance that "additional construction of the incineration plant is unnecessary," so conflicts are expected to persist.
In this process, former head Lee In-geun was reassigned as Deputy Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, and as a result, current head Yeo Jang-kwon has been working hard to push the project forward since January of this year.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Energy Corporation labor union criticized the decision to change the construction method of the second phase of the Southwest Energy Facility from a financial investment approach to utilizing external resources, calling it "an intention to grant preferential treatment to the private sector."
At a press conference held in front of Seoul City Hall on the same day, the union stated, "Despite the corporation's opposition, the city forced ahead with the feasibility study and changed the project implementation method," and added, "We are suspicious that the study results are intended to give preferential treatment to a specific private company."
They warned that they plan to file complaints against the First Deputy Mayor of Seoul and current and former heads of the Climate and Environment Headquarters.
The second phase of the Southwest District Heating and Cooling Facility construction project involves building one combined heat and power plant and one heat-only boiler to supply heat to 70,000 households and 425 business facilities in the Magok area.
However, during the 2022 construction bidding process, the project was canceled six times, and the company selected through a private contract withdrew due to rising construction costs, putting the project at risk of collapse.
Accordingly, since August last year, Seoul City, the corporation, and the Seoul Institute have re-examined the project's feasibility and concluded that the second phase construction is essential for stable heat supply in the southwestern region of Seoul. However, the existing project method lacks profitability and poses financial and payment default risks in the corporation's funding process.
A Seoul city official expressed regret, saying, "The Climate and Environment Headquarters' work is closely related to residents' lives, so it inevitably faces difficulties such as complaints. It is very unfortunate," and added, "If the project implementation process is somewhat rough, residents' opposition grows, making it extremely hard for the staff."
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