The Department of Environmental Protection of the Taoyuan City Government (TYDEP) has been honored with an Award of Excellence in the Government Team category at the 23rd Golden Thumb Award for Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects, in recognition of the “Taoyuan Biomass Energy Center Build–Operate–Transfer (BOT) Project.” The award ceremony was held on November 28, 2025, with Yen Chi-Liang, Director-General of TYDEP, accepting the honor on behalf of the Taoyuan City Government. The Golden Thumb Award is among Taiwan’s highest honors for private participation in infrastructure projects. The Taoyuan Biomass Energy Center was highly praised for its investment scale, technological innovation, and environmental benefits, underscoring Taoyuan’s leading role in waste resource recovery and energy transition.
Director-General Yen noted that the Biomass Energy Center integrates three major systems, waste thermal treatment, anaerobic digestion of food waste, and fly ash solidification, making it Taiwan’s first three-in-one, integrated circular resource facility. The thermal treatment system has been certified as a “waste-to-energy facility,” while the anaerobic digestion system has received certification as a “biomass power generation facility.” Together, the center generates approximately 220 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually, equivalent to the yearly power consumption of about 54,000 households and comparable to the carbon sequestration effect of 10,000 hectares of green space, delivering tangible contributions to urban carbon reduction.
The project also marks the first large-scale, government-led waste-to-energy facility built in Taiwan in nearly two decades. Through the BOT model, Taoyuan successfully attracted private-sector expertise and investment, with total investment exceeding NT$5.3 billion. The project achieved breakthroughs in facility integration, financial planning, construction scheduling, and risk management. Since its operations, the Biomass Energy Center has drawn visits from central government agencies, environmental authorities from across Taiwan, and international delegations, establishing itself as a key national demonstration site for incineration and circular energy facilities.
Lin Li-Chang, Director of the Office of Coast and Resource Circulation Construction (OCRCC), stated that the center was designed in accordance with the most stringent emission standards in Taiwan, with emissions of dioxins, NOx, and particulate matter far below environmental impact assessment and incinerator regulatory thresholds. The food waste anaerobic digestion system is also the first in Taiwan capable of processing both raw and cooked food waste, converting organic waste into renewable energy while simultaneously addressing waste treatment and energy production, effectively reducing air pollution and carbon emissions. From the planning stage, the facility incorporated African swine fever prevention measures, leading to the establishment of Taiwan’s first anaerobic digestion system primarily designed to treat cooked food waste. During construction, the project successfully overcame challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including labor shortages, material supply disruptions, and border restrictions, while ensuring a seamless transition during the upgrade of Taoyuan’s incineration facilities and effectively resolving waste management pressures.
More recently, in response to the sudden outbreak of African swine fever, the city government promptly activated emergency food waste measures. In addition to regular collection by sanitation teams, the Biomass Energy Center expanded its capacity to handle food waste previously collected by licensed pig-farm contractors. Replacing traditional food waste feeding practices with anaerobic digestion not only strengthened disease prevention and biosecurity but also generated renewable energy, achieving dual safeguards for public health and environmental sustainability.
TYDEP emphasized that the award not only recognizes the professionalism and dedication of its team but also affirms Taoyuan’s nationwide leadership in resource circulation, green energy generation, waste governance, and public health protection. The city will continue to advance its “zero waste, full resource utilization” policy, expand renewable energy output, and improve food waste energy conversion efficiency.