Landfills at Risk of Overflow by 2028, Government Accelerates 34 Waste-to-Energy Projects

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is accelerating the development of 34 Waste-to-Energy Power Plant (PLTSa) projects in various cities as a response to the threat of landfills (TPA) filling up no later than 2028. This step is being implemented to follow up on instructions from President Prabowo Subianto to ensure that waste issues no longer become an environmental burden.

The government targets the construction of PLTSa in 34 cities during the 2026–2027 period. The programme is aimed at reducing urban waste accumulation while generating renewable energy based on environmentally friendly technology.

“Urban waste management is a priority activity that receives direct monitoring from President Prabowo. Therefore, serious and systematic efforts are needed so that waste no longer becomes a source of problems, but instead provides benefits,” said Deputy Minister of ESDM Yuliot Tanjung at the Benowo TPA in Surabaya on Thursday (16/4/2026).

Yuliot explained that the government has issued Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025 as the legal framework for accelerating the processing of waste into energy. This regulation strengthens the integration of policies between the central and regional governments in handling urban waste.

In the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of Central and Regional Governments, President Prabowo Subianto launched the Gerakan Indonesia ASRI plan, which emphasises a safe, healthy, clean, and beautiful environment. The programme is prepared as a national movement to improve urban cleanliness governance.

“This waste issue is a problem. It is projected that almost all TPAs will experience overcapacity in 2028, even possibly sooner,” said President Prabowo.