Hanoi proposes Xuan Son landfill cleanup project

Under the proposal, the Amaccao-Seraphin-Thanh Cong consortium would carry out excavation, sorting and waste-to-energy treatment under a public-private partnership model, with an estimated processing cost of 552,300 dong per ton. Combustible material would be sent to the Amaccao-Thanh Cong waste-to-power plant, while metals would be recovered for recycling and hazardous waste handled separately.

For investors, the plan points to a larger opportunity in Vietnam’s waste-processing and circular-economy sector, where public authorities are increasingly turning to private capital to handle legacy landfill problems. The structure also gives the winning developer a potential land-backed repayment mechanism, underscoring how environmental cleanup is becoming tied to real estate value and municipal infrastructure economics.

The landfill, which opened in 1999 on nearly 35 hectares, has taken in about 3.9 million tons of waste and generated foul odors and insect outbreaks across a 5- to 10-kilometer radius, according to local authorities. Officials say the pollution has also weighed on investment in nearby urban, ecotourism and service projects around Suoi Hai and Xuan Khanh lakes.

If approved, investment procedures are expected to finish in the second quarter of 2027, with treatment of the legacy waste due to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and some rebuilt infrastructure coming into operation from the third quarter of 2028. The key risk now is execution, including land valuation transparency and strict control of emissions and wastewater during excavation, which will determine whether the project becomes a model for similar landfill cleanups elsewhere in Vietnam.