HANOI — Under the blazing summer sun, farmers continue harvesting ripe golden rice in the fields of Trung Gia commune on the outskirts of Vietnam's capital, Hanoi.

Locals have witnessed firsthand how the once-foul-smelling waste-dumping site has been transformed into vast rice fields, all thanks to the Chinese-invested Soc Son waste-to-energy plant.

Resident Nguyen Van Do recalled that household waste from across the city was once transported here, causing severe environmental pollution and undermining his family's health.

"The environment was heavily polluted with an awful stench, and there were swarms of flies and mosquitoes, especially in humid weather, which harmed the respiratory health of my wife, children and myself," he said.

Most of the city's waste was previously hauled to landfills and piled up "as high as mountains", Do said. Thanks to the plant, his family no longer needs to hang mosquito nets during meals to ward off flies and mosquitoes.

The waste-to-energy plant, operated by the Chinese-invested Hanoi Thien Y Environmental Energy Joint Stock Company, commenced operation in 2022. It feeds electricity into Vietnam's national grid and currently processes about 5,000 metric tons of Hanoi's household waste each day.

Official data showed that Hanoi, home to 8.8 million people, generates around 8,500 tons of household waste daily, of which 7,600 tons are collected and treated centrally.

Pham Thanh Phuong, an engineer at the plant, told Xinhua News Agency that he had no prior knowledge of the Chinese language or waste-to-energy incineration technology when he first joined the team.

After multiple rounds of trial operations under the guidance of Chinese experts, Phuong still remembers the excitement of launching a generator independently for the first time.

"I was truly delighted at that moment," he said. "I was the first operator to complete the whole waste-to-power process and put the new system into full operation."

Having worked at the plant for six years, Phuong said the model not only addresses the city's environmental woes but also delivers energy benefits, bolsters national and local economic development, and facilitates technological exchanges and transfers between the two countries.

Li Ke, general director of the plant's operator, said Chinese companies have built global leadership in solid waste management through years of innovation and experience.

"We are fully confident and technologically capable of sharing our technologies and experiences with other developing countries, enabling green energy to deliver environmental benefits and improve people's livelihoods," Li said.

XINHUA