Environment Minister States Putri Cempo Waste-to-Energy Plant is Problematic and Must Be Audited
The emergency waste issue in Solo city is becoming increasingly serious, with waste processing into electricity at the Putri Cempo Waste-to-Energy Plant (PLTSa) proving ineffective since its inception. The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has stated it will conduct an audit as a financial investigation into the operational feasibility of the company managing it.
This affirmation was delivered by the Environment Minister, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, after inspecting the Putri Cempo landfill and discussing with Solo Mayor Respati Ardi on Saturday afternoon (28/3/2026). “The Putri Cempo PLTSa has been ineffective since it was operationalised until today, and it has raised problems that must be addressed quickly,” Hanif told reporters after inspecting the Putri Cempo landfill.
The Putri Cempo PLTSa has been operational since late October 2023. Initially, the company managing the waste-to-electricity plant was able to handle waste. However, in its development, many problems have arisen, as the waste-to-electricity production process does not involve direct incineration but uses a gasification system, namely burning waste using a furnace.
“The Putri Cempo PLTSa is indeed different because it uses a gasification system, namely using a furnace in burning waste. It turns out that the waste volume does not reach 1,000 tonnes. This is a problem. Therefore, after discussion and review with the mayor, there must be quick handling,” Hanif explained.
This means the Ministry of Environment will conduct a financial investigative audit concerning the appraisal for the operational feasibility of the Putri Cempo PLTSa, together with the mayor and the company. This is because there are standards for managing waste into electricity, as regulated by Presidential Regulation 109 of 2025.
“Because the Putri Cempo PLTSa has already been built, concrete steps are needed. We have discussed this seriously with the mayor earlier. For operational feasibility, optimisation is required to meet the standards as regulated in Presidential Regulation 109 of 2025,” he said.
Therefore, Environment Minister Hanif urged the Solo city government not to rely solely on the Putri Cempo PLTSa. The Head of the Environment Agency must go to households or handle waste from upstream, by sorting waste.
“Upstream waste handling is very important. Because it can contribute up to 70% and even 80%, that would be good,” he added.
In Central Java, he said, upstream waste sorting should be optimised. However, unfortunately, the waste management rate in Central Java is not very high so far. It is only 27.3% of the total daily waste volume, which exceeds 17,000 tonnes.