Identification of Risk Factors Affecting PPP Waste-to-Energy Incineration Projects in China: A Multiple Case Study

• Published in: Advances in Civil Engineering Vol. 2018; no. 2018; pp. 1 - 16
• Main Authors: Liu, Sai, Xia, Bo, Sun, Chenjunyan, Liu, Yong, Skitmore, Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2018; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Case studies; Civil engineering; Combustion; Councils; Decision making; Energy; Energy management systems; Environmental law; Environmental science; Identification; Incineration; Infrastructure; Literature reviews; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methods; Municipal solid waste; Municipal waste management; Politics; Project management; Public opinion surveys; Public private partnerships; Public-private sector cooperation; Research methodology; Risk allocation; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Solid waste management; Waste disposal; Waste to energy; Beijing China; China
• ISSN: 1687-8086; 1687-8094
• DOI: 10.1155/2018/4983523

Waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration technologies are considered an effective solution for sustainable and efficient municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in China, and the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement has been widely used to construct and operate WTE incineration projects. However, PPP WTE incineration projects in China are affected by numerous risks due to the long concession period, various participants, and other factors commonly involved in PPPs, resulting in a number of failures. In light of the pivotal role that risk identification, analysis, and response play in the successful development of PPP WTE incineration projects, this paper presents a multiple case study to identify the risk factors involved in China by drawing on experience from the real-life risk events of 35 PPP WTE incineration plants. 18 risk factors are identified; the most critical of which being public opposition risk, environmental pollution risk, government decision-making risk, a defective legal and regulatory system, and MSW supply risk. The results of the study provide a solid foundation for the future risk analysis, risk allocation, and risk response of PPP WTE incineration projects, and shed light on performance improvement of the PPP WTE incineration projects as well as the development of the PPP WTE industry in China.