A visit to T-Park Hong Kong raises environmental awareness of geography students
Dr Norman Cheung Kin-wai, far right, and other participating students pose for a group photo in front of the T-Park logo.
A state-of-the-art sludge treatment facility at Nim Wan of Tuen Mun, T-Park uses “fluidised bed incineration” technology to convert sewage sludge into electricity. It can handle a maximum of 2,000 tonnes of sludge per day.
The guide explains to participating students different green features of the park.
Students of BEd(Geog) programme observe how the incinerator burn sewage sludge at high temperatures (850C) to generate electricity
In February 2024, the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies (SSPS) organised an educational fieldtrip to T-Park Hong Kong for a group of second-year students taking the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Geography) (BEd(Geog)) programme offered by the department. Echoing the spirit of “Teaching beyond the classroom walls” approach, the trip gave our students a hands-on opportunity to study the technical processes of transforming sludge to electricity and to learn the concepts of waste management and sustainability.
The journey started with a professional guided tour which allowed our students to witness the various stages of waste treatment from waste segregation to energy recovery through utilising the most advanced recycling technologies. During the guided tour, our students were shown how sewage sludge was burnt at the state-of-the-art incineration plant at high temperatures (850°C) to generate electricity efficiently and reduce waste volume at the same time. They also spent time at the park’s many green facilities, including its water bird sanctuary and environmental education centre, and some of its beautiful gardens.
Dr Norman Cheung Kin-wai from SSPS, who has led the student visit to T-Park, said, “The city produces a large amount of sewage sludge every day, causing a serious burden to our landfill sites. Located in Nim Wan of Tuen Mun, T-Park is a waste treatment facility that showcases how sludge could be converted into electricity with modern technologies. As climate change is threatening different aspects of our lives, the future of humankind depends on the availability of clean and renewable energy. The visit to T-Park enabled our students to have a closer look at how technology can transform waste into energy, hence promising a better future for humanity.”
Teaching beyond the classroom walls is one of the teaching approaches we adopt at SPSS. This approach provides students with hands-on experiences to develop a deeper understanding of the subject topic. In the case of the T-Park tour, it has broadened participating students’ perspective about global environmental and sustainability issues.
Click here for more details about the BEd(Geog) programme.
