Ushering in the Era of Waste-to-Energy
A historic milestone in waste-to-energy management in Bali has begun. On Tuesday, 21 April 2026, Bali Governor Wayan Koster officially endorsed a strategic step to resolve the island’s waste issues through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the Development of Waste-to-Electricity Processing Infrastructure (PSEL) at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs in Jakarta.
The memorandum was signed by Governor Koster, Badung Regent Wayan Adi Arnawa, and Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara, along with representatives from the central government. Among them were Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto, PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo, and Chief Investment Officer of Danantara Pandu Sjahrir.
Governor Koster explained that the groundbreaking for the PSEL facility is scheduled for 8 July 2026. “It will then be constructed over 15 months and begin operations in November 2027,” he said. This PSEL facility in Bali will process 1,200 tonnes of waste per day from Denpasar and Badung, with contributions of 700 tonnes and 500 tonnes respectively.
The presence of this waste processing facility will automatically reduce the waste ending up at the Suwung Final Processing Site (TPA). The mountain of waste at TPA Suwung, currently reaching 45 metres high, will be sorted and processed into electricity. The Bali Provincial Government will also soon transform the site, which has existed since 1984, into a green open space or city park.
“Suwung means quiet. In the past, there was no one there, then it became a rubbish dump. It turned out to be too convenient (to dump waste there) until it became overloaded, causing environmental impacts,” he said. TPA Suwung will no longer accept organic waste and residue from 1 August 2026. Currently, there are four Integrated Waste Processing Sites (TPST) and 23 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Waste Processing Sites (TPS3R) in Denpasar and Badung.
Regarding organic waste, Governor Koster said it must be handled at the source, at the household and village/sub-district level, using bag composters or modern pits. “So every type of waste has its own pathway,” said Koster. “Waste sorting from the source is important and will be strictly enforced so that waste-to-electricity processing can be optimal.”
Commitment from the Start of His Tenure as Governor
It is not easy to build public awareness about the importance of waste management. Governor Koster said that one month after being inaugurated as Bali Governor in his first term, he immediately issued Bali Governor Regulation Number 97 of 2018 on Restrictions on Single-Use Plastic Waste Generation. “I was inaugurated as governor on 5 September 2018, and on 5 October I had already issued a policy to limit the use of single-use plastics because plastic is one of the dominant wastes in Bali,” he said.
In the following year, Governor Koster issued Bali Governor Regulation Number 47 of 2019 on Source-Based Waste Management. “So that waste is handled at the source,” he said. This policy began to be socialised in December 2019. The community worked together to sort and process waste at the village/sub-district level, leading to the emergence of the spirit of “my village is clean without dirtying other villages.” In tandem, the Bali Provincial Government endeavoured to provide TPS3R in 636 villages and 80 sub-districts. At that time, 212 TPS3R had been built, and waste sorting efforts began to gain momentum.
However, the world then grappled with the COVID pandemic at the start of 2020. Bali was affected. Tourism was paralysed. The economy was sluggish. Budgets were redirected to disease control and assistance for business actors. Suddenly, waste issues evaporated amid the hustle of pandemic handling.
“Meanwhile, my target at that time was for all villages to have TPS3R by 2022 or 2023,” said Governor Koster. “But it could not be optimised because the community was also facing difficult situations due to the COVID pandemic. This programme could not be forced.”
The determination to address waste issues was delayed for about two years amid economic recovery, but Governor Koster’s term ended on 5 September 2023. “Stuck, it didn’t progress. Waste management was directionless,” said Koster. As a result, waste problems resurfaced. Waste piled up, especially in cities and markets. TPA Suwung exceeded capacity.
Inaugurated as Bali Governor for his second term on 20 February 2025, Wayan Koster’s enthusiasm to resolve waste issues burned even brighter. “Now or never. Now or never at all,” he said enthusiastically, considering the immense challenges. As if in response, on 10 October 2025, President Prabowo Subianto issued Presidential Regulation Number 109 of 2025 on Urban Waste Handling through Waste Processing into Renewable Energy Based on Environmentally Friendly Technology. This regulation reinforces previous policies, namely Presidential Regulation Number 35 of 2018 on Accelerating the Development of Waste-to-Electricity Processing Installations Based on Environmentally Friendly Technology, which mentions Denpasar as one of the locations for PSEL installation development.
Waste handling efforts in Bali, according to Governor Koster, are extremely important. The reason is that Bali is a tourism destination that must be prioritised. “Waste has become an issue that disrupts Bali’s tourism image and has received special attention from President Prabowo,” he said. The local government’s task, he continued, is to prepare land, ensure waste supply, and through socialisation to the community. “In the near future, I will gather all regents and mayors across Bali to implement source-based waste management.”
The First Step Determines Everything: Waste Sorting
Governor Koster realises how heavy it is to build public awareness for waste sorting. The key, he said, is to continuously conduct socialisation and provide solutions.