The revised timeline means the island will continue to grapple with a waste-disposal shortfall for at least another 12 months as garbage volumes continue to exceed existing incineration capacity.
Phuket City Mayor Suppachoke Laongphet visited the Phuket Provincial Integrated Waste Disposal Centre at Saphan Hin this week to inspect progress on the project and newly arrived machinery being prepared for a second phase of installation.
Municipal officials said the second incinerator had originally been scheduled for completion by the middle of this year.
However, delays in the delivery of key equipment forced contractor EA Waste Management Phuket Co Ltd to seek an extension to the construction period.
"The international conflict in the Middle East affected the transportation of some materials and machinery," Phuket City Municipality said in a statement. "As a result, the construction period has been extended and completion is now expected in June 2027."
The facility is being built alongside the existing Phuket Provincial Waste Disposal Centre and is designed to process up to 500 tonnes of waste per day.
Once operational, the additional capacity is expected to significantly ease pressure on the island’s overburdened waste-management system.
The new plant will use a closed incineration system intended to minimise environmental impacts, particularly odour, while reducing the effect on nearby communities, officials said.
EA Waste Management Phuket plans to begin loading waste into the facility’s bunker system approximately three months before construction is completed in order to prepare for commissioning and testing of the plant.
That process is expected to take place between April and June next year.
The delay comes as Phuket continues to struggle with mounting waste volumes.
The island currently generates an estimated 1,000-1,300 tonnes of rubbish each day, while the existing incinerator processes about 700 tonnes daily, leaving hundreds of tonnes to be sent to landfill.
In February, Mayor Suppachoke warned that the second incinerator would not provide immediate relief to Phuket’s worsening waste crisis and acknowledged that existing landfill areas were already under severe pressure.
At the time, municipal officials said the island’s main landfill at Saphan Hin had exceeded its original design capacity and could no longer expand outward.
Phuket City Municipality said it would continue closely monitoring the project to ensure the new facility is completed as quickly as possible and delivers long-term benefits for both residents and the environment.
Mayor Suppachoke was joined during yesterday’s inspection by municipal executives, engineering officials and representatives of EA Waste Management Phuket.