Central Java Attracts US Investor to Tackle Greater Solo Waste Crisis

An American waste processing company, Energy Three International (E3i), is planning to invest in the Greater Solo agglomeration area. Acting Governor of Central Java, Luthfi, stated that waste management in the Greater Solo region remains a pressing issue that must be resolved immediately. While there is already an agreement to process waste into electrical energy, the problem of handling large volumes of legacy waste persists. “I am very pleased that an investor from the United States is coming in. If possible, this must be realised and can solve the waste problem in Greater Solo,” Luthfi said in a written statement on Monday (3/8/2026), following a meeting with E3i representative Medhat Omran at his office. The Greater Solo area generates approximately 2,944.55 tonnes of waste per day, a volume that has not yet been fully managed. Consequently, Central Java is promoting the development of a Waste to Fuel facility in the region with a capacity of around 1,000 tonnes per day, capable of serving Boyolali, Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Wonogiri, Sragen, and Klaten. Luthfi noted that several agglomeration areas, such as Semarang City and Kendal, already have memoranda of understanding for waste processing with Danantara. For Greater Solo, an agreement exists for new waste, but an investor is still being sought for legacy waste. Head of the Central Java Environment and Forestry Service, Heru Djatmika, explained that Luthfi’s policy targets zero waste in Central Java by 2028. The incoming US investor has been directed to the Greater Solo area, which produces over 1,000 tonnes of waste daily. “This investor is coming in for waste to fuel,” Heru stated, adding that a 20-hectare plot of land in Boyolali has already been secured from the required 25 hectares. E3i’s ASEAN representative, Medhat Omran, said his company is an investment firm that processes waste into biofuel and energy. He expressed hope that the project would materialise, benefiting the community and the country by using new zero-emission technology. The project is expected to place Indonesia and Central Java on the global map for green energy and will employ nearly 300 people.