The Indonesian government inaugurated a waste-to-energy power plant in Cilacap, Central Java, worth USD 6 million. The refuse-derived fuel (RDF) facility is a pilot project to improve Indonesia’s waste management and smoothen the country’s transition from coal to renewable energy. Also, it will create new business opportunities for individuals and companies in the waste management sector.
Parties involved in building the plant are the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, regional administrators, the Embassy of Denmark, and building materials manufacturer PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia.
PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia produces building materials and currently owns four cement factories in the country, including in Cilacap. It is part of the Semen Indonesia Group, the largest cement producer in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The RDF facility is expected to generate 50 tons of RDF from 120 tons of waste every day, which will be used as an alternative to coal to fuel its cement plant. The government is also working with PLN’s subsidiary unit, PT Indonesia Power, to use the alternative fuel at power plants.
Indonesia is aiming to tackle its waste problems by various means with the goal of reducing marine plastic debris by 70% between 2020 – 2025 and becoming plastic pollution free by 2040.
(Source: Jakarta Post)
