JPS calls for stronger study on waste-to-energy processing
Jakarta Public Service (JPS) has called for a strengthened study on the waste-to-energy (WTE) facility at the Intermediate Treatment Facility (ITF) Sunter in North Jakarta, so that it does not create problems in the future.
“The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government needs to conduct an in-depth study before the WTE facility is operated, especially regarding environmental aspects, technology, public health, and the management of residues from waste processing,” said JPS Executive Director M Syaiful Jihad in Jakarta on Saturday.
He said the experience of operating the waste processing facility at RDF Rorotan could serve as evaluation material.
The environmental problems and public complaints that emerged during the operation of the RDF Plant Rorotan, he said, show that impact control aspects must be a concern from the planning stage.
“We must not end up with a waste processing facility that then creates new problems in the surrounding environment. Therefore, the environmental impact analysis must truly be carried out comprehensively and openly,” said Syaiful.
According to him, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has previously taken a number of steps to control environmental impacts at the RDF Plant Rorotan, including strengthening the emission control system and adding odour neutralising devices.
“The DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency has also stated that transportation to the facility uses closed compactor trucks to reduce the potential for odour and leachate spillage,” said Syaiful.
He assessed that this experience should serve as a lesson in preparing ITF Sunter.
ITF Sunter is known to have a processing capacity of up to 2,200 tonnes of waste per day using WTE technology.
The facility is projected to be able to process waste into electrical energy and significantly reduce waste volume.
“The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government says this capacity can reduce waste volume by more than 80 percent and generate up to 35 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The project’s investment value is estimated at Rp5.3 trillion,” Syaiful revealed.
He noted that with a capacity of 2,200 tonnes per day, ITF Sunter could theoretically handle around 27-29 percent of Jakarta’s waste generation, which is in the range of 7,700-8,000 tonnes per day.
“This means the facility has the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing the burden of waste management, although it cannot be the sole solution,” Syaiful added.
The construction of WTE, he continued, must also go hand in hand with policies on waste reduction and sorting at the source.
“The government’s efforts to find solutions to Jakarta’s waste problem need to be supported,” Syaiful stressed.
“This condition requires handling beyond the pattern of disposal to final processing sites,” said Syaiful.
Based on data from the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, Jakarta’s waste volume is in the range of 7,700-8,000 tonnes per day, while the waste pile at the Bantar Gebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) has reached around 55 million tonnes.
Syaiful said this condition shows the need for waste processing facilities that can reduce waste volume while generating other benefits.
“Efforts to address the waste problem in Jakarta must certainly be supported. WTE can be one solution because waste is not only disposed of, but also processed and utilised into energy,” said Syaiful.
He also expressed hope that the plan to reactivate ITF Sunter would be carried out with the principles of prudence and transparency.
The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, he said, needs to involve the public and ensure that all environmental standards and emission controls are met before the facility operates.
“WTE must not merely become a waste processing infrastructure project, but truly become part of a sustainable waste management system for Jakarta,” Syaiful concluded.