Implement Resource Cycling, Navigate a Sustainable Future

Group Resource Cycling Business CEO J.J. Liao

Looking ahead into the international arena, increasing attention and supports from governments, communities and businesses have turned circular economy into a popular environmental topic globally. This has reassured CTCI's ECOVE, which is committed to resource cycling, that the three main operations it has developed including Energy-from-Waste (EfW), waste management and reuse, as well as photovoltaics are all part of the global trend. In the future, ECOVE will keep practicing resource cycling by elevating Resource Cycling Efficiency™, setting up intelligent management system, expanding self-developed patent technologies, identifying solutions based on market trends, as well as engaging in national policies discussion and community cooperation, we will continue to expand our operations in resource cycling, implement the corporation culture of “Every Resource Counts” and “Professionalism, Integrity, Teamwork and Innovation”, and realize the vision of “being the most reliable provider of industry-leading ‘resource cycling’ services”.

Combine Intelligent Management and Patent Technology to Maximize the Use of Resource

To effectively increase the value of every resource, ECOVE has introduced the self-developed iQ&M intelligent management system and more than 30 patent technologies in order to improve Resource Cycling EfficiencyTM.

Taking the iO&M (Intelligent Operation & Maintenance System) as an example, it is ECOVE's self-developed iQ&M system that makes proper use of the large operational data daily generated from each plant in the field of Energy-from-Waste, which is a field that ECOVE has been in for over twenty years. This system integrates Maintenance Management Information System (MMIS) and Operational Results System (ORS). The intelligent management not only effectively monitors and analyzes complex data from domestic and foreign plants every day, but it also uses accumulated equipment databases to optimize the system and improve operations. This is to make sure that plants in operation, in terms of equipment availability, processing effectiveness and energy recovery rate, do not suffer from declined performance due to aging. Our successful intelligent management systems in EfW plants have also been applied in photovoltaic power plants (PVPP). Intelligent real-time monitoring and management have greatly improved equipment availability rate. Take Lumberton PVPP in New Jersey, USA, for instance, since the implementation of intelligent management, it has increased its actual power generation by over 10% compared with original estimates, and greatly improved operational performance.

In addition to intelligent management, ECOVE possesses more than 30 localized patent technologies in pace with the international market. For example, ECOVE allocated its resources for R&D in "Automatic Combustion Control" five years ago and acquired the patent. It has been successfully applied in domestic EfW plants and effectively stabilized the operation of EfW plants. These dozens of patents, combined with the introduction of iO&M systems, effectively improve the operation efficiency for each plant and project. We have also branched out through ECOVE's technologies and experience by assisting partners’ plants in their upgrades and revamping. Taiwan Sugar Corporation's Gangshan EfW plant, raising its availability rate by 18% with ECOVE's know-how, is the iconic example.

Innovative R&D -- New Model for Recycling

Like wastewater turned into reclaimed water, ECOVE concentrates waste solvent and reenter it to the market supply chain as industrial materials, constantly creating new recycling models.

Advanced technologies generate complex forms of wastes. Businesses from across the world are constantly thinking about how to utilize new technologies to return resources, raw materials and wastes back into the industry chain cycle. In this regard, ECOVE has actively worked on technology integration and looks for more solutions in environmental resource service.

Taking waste solvent recycling as an example, Taiwan is an important base in the world for the manufacturing of semiconductors. Along the production processes, various types of industrial wastes are generated every year. In the past, tons of waste isopropyl alcohol (IPA) would be incinerated by EfW plants on a daily basis. It was a pity to see this many precious resources just burnt out. Using the concept of wastewater recycling as well as continuous R&D, ECOVE has successfully removed water content from IPA and increased the concentration to 99.5%, and then returned it to the market supply chain as industrial raw materials and greatly reduced the consumption of petrochemical materials and the planet's resources. As Taiwan's high-end semiconductor process develops, more waste IPA will be generated. In the future, ECOVE will work closely with major technology companies in semiconductors and other sectors, so that the generated liquid wastes can all be reused. The experience learned from waste IPA will be applied to other projects, and, hopefully, all process wastes will be reused proactively.

In recent years, ECOVE has also worked to step into the water treatment industry in conjunction with the Group's development. The operated Linkou Water Recycling Center and Gravel Contact Oxidation Treatment Facilities in New Taipei City have utilized the iO&M intelligent management system for their comprehensive management of water treatment plants. The results have been recognized by the owners and  certificates of appreciation were awarded. Not only is it an addition to the Group's experience in wastewater operations, but it has also successfully expanded the business scope into the field of water resources.

As for the market outlook, there is still a lot of room for recycling projects, such as recycled bottom aggregates and anaerobic digestion with biogas power generation. ECOVE has been actively engaged in R&D for all of them. The Taoyuan City Biomass Energy Center BOT project, which is being executed, features all of these recycling facilities. This is another step forward toward the concept of "Every Resource Counts".

Expand Solar Energy Layout, New Model in Green Energy

In response to the government's renewable energy policies, ECOVE has invested in the development of PVPP and continued to broaden its operations to further develop green power in Taiwan.

With the global trend of sustainability development, Taiwan's government has also proposed agenda and declared its resolution to move towards the era of circular economy. ECOVE practices resource cycling in Taiwan and, of course, is supposed to follow national policies to develop resource cycling businesses. Facing Taiwan's proactive energy transition in recent years, along with the government's green energy policy, Taiwan's photovoltaic power capacities will be targeted on 20 GW in 2025 with an annual power generation of 25 billion kWh. Responding to government policies and considering Taiwan's high-density population and lack of land, ECOVE has obtained productive results in the development of various PV systems on rooftops, ground, and water surfaces. Last year, ECOVE, having held 50% of the equity originally, bought the remaining 50% equity of ECOVE Solar Energy Corp., a subsidiary company responsible for the development and investment of PVPP. It now owns 100% of ECOVE Solar Energy Corp. and has full autonomy for expansion in the field of PV in compliance with CTCI’s group policy.

Take various major projects completed in Taiwan this year as an example. The rooftop PV project at the Port of Kaohsiung not only successfully helped Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) achieve the goal of becoming a green port but also increased port revenue by charging a portion of the energy sales. TIPC has also applied this model to all major commercial ports in Taiwan due to the successful cooperation. ECOVE has once again been awarded the rights for development and operation through its excellent performance. Another example is the first PVPP on top of the reservoir at Taipei's Changxing Water Purification Plant. It has multiple uses, such as “power generation, algae suppression, dust prevention, and carbon reduction”. It effectively breaks the limits of space and has become a profitable model for PVPP.

So far, the domestic and overseas PVPPs completed by ECOVE has generated more than 170 million kWh of electricity, enough for 48,000 families for an entire year. The dozens of PVPPs built in Taiwan and the United States have been operating normally after going through typhoons on the island and snowstorms in the US. The reputation of being the most reliable led to the cooperation with Taoyuan MRT, Kaohsiung MRT, Taiwan HSR, Civil Aeronautics Administration, TIPC, and other institutions. Our engineering quality has also been recognized with the highest honor in photovoltaics sector, the Top Solar System Awards, Intelligent PV Building Label, and others. With the 20GW business opportunities in domestic solar energy in mind, ECOVE will be proactively developing public and private projects and expand its business sources. As for overseas markets in the United States, Southeast Asia and other countries, more business opportunities can be expected with the introduction of new policies on solar energy development. We will replicate the successful model of Lumberton PPVP and combine it with resources from local developers to continue our market expansion.

Resource Cycling Practices -- ECOVE Receives National Award

ECOVE, as the most reliable corporate citizen, cares for its employees, involves in environmental education, and combines careers with vocations through its core professionalism.

As a result of ECOVE's long-term efforts in resource cycling, it was certified and received the BS 8001 Circular Economy Standard in its first edition in 2017. This is proof that ECOVE's operations come with the best recycling rate and circular effectiveness. It has been rated as the highest level of excellence in resource management, and in environmental as well as social benefits.

As a real practitioner of resource cycling, ECOVE is deeply aware of the necessity of employee recognition in order to fully utilize the power of corporate citizenship. Starting from creating a safe, healthy and secure work environment for employees, ECOVE has cooperated with National Cheng Kung University Hospital to implement “Employee Blood Dioxin Testing Project” where employees take the blood test every 4 years. The project has been in place for 15 years and 2020 will be its 4th time of inspection. Results have shown that blood dioxin concentration in tested employees were nearly the same compared to the number of general public as well as the number recommended by WHO. This is because our employees are equipped with proper personal protection, and ECOVE has a complete employee health and safety education. ECOVE has also integrated CSR into its core businesses, proactively taking part in environmental education and social participation. ECOVE leads its colleagues to care for local communities, actively making effective connections between businesses and communities, citizens and citizens, as well as citizens and nature. Through its professionalism, ECOVE strives for achieving national and social sustainability and takes the responsibility of being a corporate citizen. It received the "National Sustainable Development Awards" from the Executive Yuan, and won  first place in the category of mid-size enterprises in this year's "Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Award" from CommonWealth Magazine.

Looking ahead, ECOVE will continue to accelerate its intelligent upgrades, combine and expand self-developed technologies, improve management effectiveness, and raise the value of product cycling. The value of every resource will be maximized in the march towards the vision of being “the most reliable provider of industry-leading resource cycling services”.