Danantara to Maximise Local Workforce for Waste-to-Energy Projects

PT Daya Energi Bersih Nusantara (Denera), an integrated waste management company within the Danantara Indonesia ecosystem, is seeking 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 and operational phases of the facilities. “We ensure that collaboration with local governments and local parties runs well, including maximising the use of local workers,” he stated in an official release received in Jakarta on Saturday. Danantara Indonesia projects that between 500 and 1,000 workers will be needed to complete the construction phase of each Waste-to-Energy (PSEL) facility, with a total of 33 units planned across Indonesia. Meanwhile, the total workforce required from the construction phase through to operation is predicted to reach 130,000 people. Fadli Rahman noted that the issue of waste management has become a generational problem and has evolved into a social issue that can determine the quality of life for future generations. He invited all members of society to support every waste handling effort, whether small or large scale, from upstream to downstream, ranging from simple waste sorting to the application of advanced processing technologies. “Let us together support every effort that can be a solution to the waste problem in Indonesia,” Fadli Rahman said. On a separate occasion, Sustainability Provocateur and Founder of Social Investment Indonesia, Jalal, said 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 waste, which is dominated by organic material with high moisture content, requiring 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. The community must obtain ecological, economic, and social benefits from the project’s existence. “Community participation is not merely a formality in the licensing process. Local residents must be involved from the planning stage, gain open access to emissions information, and obtain tangible benefits from the project being built. Without this, WtE risks losing the social legitimacy that is the very foundation of its sustainability,” Jalal said.