Tung Chung East New Town Extension: Pioneering sustainable reclamation and eco-shoreline development

The Tung Chung East New Town Extension is redefining reclamation — combining non‑dredging, deep cement mixing and circular reuse of materials to cut carbon, speed delivery and create Hong Kong’s first eco‑shoreline that works with nature to build a more resilient coastal future.

Reimagining reclamation for a resilient future

Tung Chung East New Town Extension (TCE) is transforming Hong Kong’s coastline — delivering new land for homes and community facilities while setting new standards for sustainable development.

Traditionally, reclamation meant dredging the seabed and filling it with imported marine sand, disrupting ecosystems and increasing emissions. At TCE, we used deep cement mixing (DCM) to strengthen the seabed without dredging. The method creates a stable base that’s faster, cleaner and more sustainable than conventional approaches.

Key features demonstrating sustainability performance:

• First in Hong Kong to use DCM for a public works project — helping deliver the first parcel of public housing land approximately six months earlier than traditional methods
• Around six million tonnes less fill needed, reducing vessel trips and carbon emissions
• Use of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) cut cement consumption by 60 percent and lowered CO₂ emissions by an estimated 600,000 tonnes
• Over 70 percent of fill material recycled from rocks, concrete, asphalt, rubble, bricks, stones and earth from other project sites — reducing waste and supporting a circular economy
• Eco‑shoreline added along 3.8 kilometres to enhance biodiversity and create a resilient coastal edge

Learn more from Chris Cheung, our project’s chief resident engineer, about the advantages of the non-dredging, deep cement mixing method in this video (available only in Cantonese) developed by the Development Bureau, HKSAR Government.

Turning waste into opportunity

By repurposing construction and demolition (C&D) materials from other projects and using quarry by‑products as marine sand substitutes, the TCE team diverted huge volumes of waste from landfills and minimized resource use. This approach not only reduces pressure on natural resources but also models how circular principles can be applied to large‑scale infrastructure.

The adoption of industrial by‑products such as GGBS further demonstrates how material innovation can improve durability while lowering emissions. It’s a powerful example of how engineering solutions can address climate challenges head‑on.

An eco‑shoreline that works with nature

Beyond the reclamation itself, TCE introduced Hong Kong’s first eco‑shoreline, a nature‑based coastal defense that mimics the structure of natural habitats while retaining shoreline protection. Featuring rocky, mangrove and vertical sections, the design creates varied habitats that encourage marine species to return and thrive.

The eco‑shoreline shows that infrastructure and ecology can coexist — strengthening climate resilience and community connection to the waterfront.

Discover how our Nature‑based Solutions approach brings this vision to life in the Tung Chung Eco‑shoreline case study.

Through innovation in methods, materials and design, the Tung Chung East project is helping Hong Kong build resilient communities while lowering its environmental footprint. It sets a new standard for future reclamation projects — proving that sustainable engineering and nature‑positive design can shape a thriving, climate‑ready city.

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