We also will build a WtE plant in Solo with a capacity of 7.5 MW and also one in Jakarta."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesias Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, believes that the waste-to-energy (WtE) technology will be able to solve the problem of waste in Indonesia.
"The city of Solo has reported that about 1,000 tons of garbage is being converted every day into energy," he stated here on Wednesday.
According to him, as per a limited meeting wherein the waste-to-energy plants installation issue was discussed on Tuesday (Nov 1), seven cities in Indonesia will develop the WtE technology.
Until now, noted Luhut, only one WtE has been operating in Semarang, Central Java. It was set up by Denmark and has a capacity of 1.3 MW.
"We also will build a WtE plant in Solo with a capacity of 7.5 MW and also one in Jakarta," he informed.
Luhut conceded that to solve the garbage problem in Indonesia, the government will give incentives to investors so that they set up WtE plants.
Electricity from waste was priced at about 13-16 cents per kWh, higher than coal power which costs 9 cents per kwh.
The high price was a result of a deliberate decision so that people do not dump garbage into the sea. Instead, it will be processed into electricity.
Deputy of Maritime Sovereignty, Arif Havas Oegroseno, said although, until now, the development WtE was still being constrained by the fact that the investors and the PT PLN could not come to a decision about the price of electricity, yet a new paradigm of waste management as a national policy needs to be put in place.
"Also, the cost impact of waste management needs to be reduced," he added.
According to Arif, seven cities selected by the government for the development of WtE plants will be pioneers in using environmentally friendly energy.
He believed that the sale price of electricity would be reduced in the future.
(Reported by Ade Irma Junida/Uu.A074/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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