Hong Kong authorities should turn a new HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) municipal waste incinerator in Tuen Mun into a tourist attraction and an education hub for eco-protection, lawmakers have said.

Their remarks on Tuesday followed the government’s application to the Legislative Council for HK$29.2 billion to build the planned Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase 2, or I·PARK2, with costs about 20 per cent lower than the earlier HK$35.7 billion estimate.

Samuel Chui Ho-kwong, director of environmental protection, said the use of modular integrated construction was one of the factors behind the lower cost.

“While we previously adhered to EU and other international standards, we have now allowed contractors to adopt national standards, enabling them to source infrastructure and related components more easily and resulting in more accurate pricing during the tendering process,” Chui said.

Located at the Middle Ash Lagoon in Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun, the proposed I·PARK2 will have a daily processing capacity of 6,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste.

The project is planned for phased completion, with works expected to finish about 5½ years after funding is approved by the legislature.