Coordinating Minister Zulhas: Waste-to-Energy Development Accelerated in 30 Projects
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) stated that the government is accelerating the development of waste-to-energy (PSEL) facilities in 30 projects spanning dozens of regions.
He said the acceleration stems from direct instructions from the President to tackle the waste emergency, especially in areas with accumulations exceeding 1,000 tons per day.
“Following the President’s directive, we are accelerating PSEL development to resolve the waste emergency,” Zulhas said after a limited coordination meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He explained that the initial PSEL development plan was proposed for around 34 locations, later adjusted to 33 sites covering 61 regencies and cities.
However, he continued, several locations were merged into service areas, resulting in 30 projects.
“We initially proposed 34 to the President, but some were combined, covering a total of 61 regencies and cities,” he stated.
According to him, the 30 projects still encompass 61 regencies and cities by adopting a regional merger approach within single projects.
“We have finalised 30 today. But these 30 actually consist of 61 regencies and cities; the number is 30 due to some agglomerations or mergers,” Zulhas remarked.
He noted that these PSEL projects have a processing capacity of around 14.4 million tons of waste per year. This amount is equivalent to approximately 22.5% of the national waste accumulation.
He added that the remaining 77.5% of waste will be addressed through other approaches, including management in office sectors, markets, schools, and public facilities.
“The 77.5% includes urban areas, industrial zones, villages and sub-districts, besides households; we will resolve it in four years. The technology is already available,” he said.
He emphasised that the government possesses various waste processing technologies, such as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and composting, which can be applied according to regional needs.
“We already have the technology, whether waste-to-energy, RDF, or composting; essentially, if we are willing, this waste can be resolved,” he disclosed.
Zulhas then explained that several projects have advanced to subsequent stages, including those that have undergone tender processes.
He mentioned four locations that have entered the tender phase: Greater Denpasar, Bekasi City, Greater Bogor, and Yogyakarta.
Additionally, other projects such as Palembang, South Tangerang, Makassar, Greater Lampung, Greater Semarang, Greater Surabaya, and Medan have been verified and are ready to enter the auction stage.
According to him, the government targets the initial batch of projects to commence operations in 2027, while the others are slated for completion by May 2028.
“The first batch is in 2027, and the rest targeted for May 2028,” he stated.
Furthermore, Zulhas affirmed that PSEL development forms part of the government’s initial strategy to handle the national waste issue more systematically.
With this acceleration, the government hopes that waste management in various regions will proceed more effectively and support improvements in environmental quality.