Danantara to Maximise Local Workforce for Waste-to-Energy Projects
Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Daya Energi Bersih Nusantara (Denera), an integrated waste management company within the Danantara Indonesia ecosystem, is striving to optimise the absorption of local labour in the development of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) projects.
Denera Chief Executive Officer Fadli Rahman highlighted the importance of involving various community elements in the implementation of WtE, both during the development process and the operation of the facilities.
“We are ensuring that collaboration with local governments and local parties proceeds well, including maximising the use of local labour,” he stated in an official statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.
Danantara Indonesia projects that 500 to 1,000 workers will be required to complete the construction phase of each Waste-to-Electricity Processing (PSEL) facility, with 33 units planned across Indonesia. Meanwhile, the total number of workers required from the construction phase through to operations is predicted to reach 130,000 people.
Fadli stated that waste management issues have become a generational problem and have evolved into a social issue that could determine the quality of life for communities in the future. He also called on the public to support all waste management efforts, from small to large scales, from upstream to downstream, ranging from simple waste sorting to the implementation of advanced processing technologies.
“Let us together support every effort that can serve as a solution to the waste problem in Indonesia,” said Fadli Rahman.
In a separate context, Jalal, Sustainability Provocateur and Founder of Social Investment Indonesia, noted that the construction of WtE facilities must go hand-in-hand with strengthening the culture of waste sorting at the household, commercial, and industrial levels. This is because the challenge of waste management lies not only in technology but also in the characteristics of the waste, which is dominated by organic matter with high moisture content, necessitating sorting before further processing.
He also stated that the meaningful engagement of all affected community components must be an inseparable part of every WtE project. Communities must derive ecological, economic, and social benefits from the existence of these projects.
“Community participation is not merely a formality in the licensing process. Local residents must be involved from the planning stage, have transparent access to emission information, and obtain real benefits from the constructed projects. Without this, WtE risks losing the social legitimacy that serves as the foundation for its sustainability,” said Jalal.