Shenzhen Energy Ring

A Global Issue, A Local Solution

According to the World Bank, the global population generates over 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually. Landfills also contribute to nearly 19% of global methane emissions – a greenhouse gas that’s 80 times more powerful at warming the atmosphere than the more familiar culprit carbon dioxide. While this calls for actions to raise the general awareness and thereby reduce the amounts of waste we produce globally, the Shenzhen Energy tackles the existing problem by turning waste into an energy resource. Generating an annual 1.2 billion kWh that goes straight to the city’s energy grid, the waste-to-energy powerplant sets a new standard for environmentally progressive architecture.

An Inspiring Learning Experience

More than a vital piece of infrastructure, the Energy Ring is designed as a visitor experience to support community engagement and learning through exhibitions and walking tours. Visitors begin at an arrival plaza surrounded by landscaped gardens, its entrance marked with a real-time statistical information board showing waste amounts processed so far that day and energy produced.

The emission standards implemented at Shenzhen Energy Ring exceed the China national standard (GB18485-2014) and EU standards (2010/75/EU). After visitors pass a bridge leading into the building in a dramatic procession that passes between the plant’s two towering smokestacks, the tour inside begins at a multi-floor exhibition hall, where films and displays outlining environmental issues are showcased.

As one of the first industrial buildings in China to achieve LEED Gold, the design incorporates several ambitious sustainability features. For example, the roof is fitted with 18,000-square-metres photovoltaic array that generates approximately 3.6 million kWh annually of solar-generated electricity directly to the plant and the electrical grid. The envelope’s daylighting and natural ventilation strategies, which were specially tuned to Shenzhen’s sub-tropical climate, reduce the need for electric lighting and air conditioning.

The tour culminates in a 150m long elevated glass-enclosed walkway, where visitors are provided with an in-depth look at the incineration process, from the waste bunker to the smoke treatment equipment.

The tour through the Energy Ring offers more than infrastructure; it's a journey of discovery aiming to leave the visitors to experience the scale of the facility and to leave with a lasting impression about the importance of minimising waste in our daily lives.

Central to the plant's design is its innovative permeable envelope, which provides natural ventilation, smoke exhaust, and daylighting. Steel lamellas treated with a special, burnt orange coating that is pollution resistant and self-cleaning, wrap the building, spiralling up the conical facade. Between the lamellas, expanded metal mesh controls access while allowing air to pass through the wall. The assembly is formed from 8215 triangular-shaped unitized lamellas, wrapped 360 degrees, with integral gutters that allow the facade to drain. A steel louver system on the roof also provides natural ventilation, smoke exhaust, and daylighting while protecting the interior from the weather.