BRIN promotes development of waste-to-energy power plants to address waste in 3T regions

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Researcher from the Centre for Environmental Technology and Clean Technology Research at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Wiharja, is promoting the development of Waste-to-Energy Power Plants (PLTSa) to process waste in Indonesia’s underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions.

“The initial goal of PLTSa is to prove that waste in Indonesia can be processed to produce energy. I agree that in these 3T areas, PLTSa can be implemented there,” he said during a discussion in Jakarta on Thursday.

Wiharja stated that implementing PLTSa in 3T regions could reduce waste carried by waves to remote islands and decrease the use of petroleum fuel (BBM).

Currently, he explained, BRIN has developed the PLTSa Merah Putih at the Bantar Gebang Final Processing Site (TPA) in Bekasi with a capacity of 100 tons per day, capable of generating 700 kilowatts (kW) of electrical power.

Wiharja affirmed that his team is prepared to build PLTSa at other locations, either at the same scale or a larger one.

“We are ready to support the government in managing waste,” he emphasised.

To that end, Wiharja urged local governments to map out waste problems in their respective areas, so that PLTSa can be applied appropriately to meet each region’s needs.

It is known that President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has directed all levels of government, both central and regional, to be consistent in handling waste.

Concrete actions for emergency waste management are being carried out through the Gerakan Indonesia Aman, Sehat, Rapi, dan Indah (ASRI) movement as a practical step from the President’s instructions to strengthen consistency in environmental cleaning and sustainable waste management across all corners of Indonesia.