Zulhas Targets Waste-Free Jakarta in Two Years

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, alias Zulhas, targets Jakarta to be clean of waste thanks to the Waste Processing into Electricity Energy (PSEL) project. “They will no longer pile up, smell, and flood their streets. Insya Allah in two years,” Zulkifli said at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs office in Jakarta on Monday, 4 May 2026.

The statement was made by Zulkifli following the signing of the PSEL memorandum of understanding between BPI Danantara and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government.

Zulhas stated that waste accumulation in Jakarta can reach 8,000 tonnes per day. Meanwhile, the majority of waste management relies on open dumping, such as at the Integrated Waste Management Facility Bantar Gebang in Bekasi, West Java.

However, several open dumps, including Bantar Gebang, have exceeded capacity. He estimated that the waste pile at Bantar Gebang is equivalent to a 17-storey building.

The PAN politician said that Jakarta is willing to accelerate urban waste emergency handling through Presidential Regulation Number 109 of 2025. This means waste in Jakarta will be managed into electricity. Zulhas said that Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung proposed two PSEL locations, namely Bantar Gebang and Tanjung Priok Kamal Muara.

Meanwhile, Danantara CEO Rosan Perkasa Roeslani estimated the investment value of the PSEL project with a total capacity of 8,000 tonnes of waste to reach US$1 million. He targets the Jakarta PSEL project to operate in 2028.

However, he hopes the PSEL capacity can exceed 8,000 tonnes to process old waste. “But the outcome might have lower efficiency. But all old and new waste can be taken, directly processed, no need to separate anymore,” said Rosan.