Govt Urged to Stop Waste-to-Energy Projects | Economy & Business | Tempo.Co :: Indonesian News Portal 05/08/18 12.

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Govt Urged to Stop Waste-to-

Energy Projects

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is urged to stop the construction

of waste-to-energy plants (PLTSa). The Indonesia Center for
Environmental Law has called for Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry
to review waste to energy projects in seven cities across the country. It
reasoned that the Supreme Court (MA) has ruled that waste incineration is
against the laws.

“The Supreme Court ruling clearly says that thermal technology is

forbidden because it contravenes the laws. The government’s move is
dangerous,” the center’s executive director Henri Subagio said yesterday.

The court ruled in January that the use of thermal technology is against the
laws as it poses threats to the environment and health. The court reasoned
that waste incineration residues produce hazardous materials such as
dioxins, furans, mercury, lead and cadmium. Not to mention that the
plants will be built in high-density areas.

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Govt Urged to Stop Waste-to-Energy Projects | Economy & Business | Tempo.Co :: Indonesian News Portal 05/08/18 12.59

The Supreme Court ruled that the government shall adopt green waste
management. “The Law on Waste Management System obliges the
government and local administration to facilitate the adoption of eco-
friendly technology,” the court ruling says.

Read: Jakarta Soon to Have Waste Generated Power Plant

Henri said that the government ought to abide by the ruling to evaluate its
sustainable waste management policy. The government’s insistence on
proceeding with the projects would create legal uncertainty for plant
developers.

The government has planned to build waste to energy plants in Jakarta,

Tangerang, Bandung, Surakarta, Surabaya, Makassar and Semarang. It has
recently added Bali to the list. It is expected that the power plants would
process 1,000 tons of waste on a daily basis.

State-owned power company PT PLN has agreed to buy electricity

generated from the plants at US 18.77 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for
high and medium voltage. As for low voltage, the price is set at US 22.43
cent. Once the tender is completed, the company will sign a 20-year power
purchase agreement. The prices are higher than those of other clean energy
sources.

The Energy Ministry’s new renewable and energy conservation director-

general Rida Mualyana has confirmed that the power generation project
will continue. He said that the legal basis is still being discussed by the
Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs through revised Presidential
Regulation No. 18/2016 on Acceleration of PLTSa Establishment.

Rida said that the priority in the waste to energy projects is to reduce waste
volume. He said that the program is part of Indonesia’s commitment to
tackling climate change as agreed at the COP21 conference in Paris in
2015.

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Govt Urged to Stop Waste-to-Energy Projects | Economy & Business | Tempo.Co :: Indonesian News Portal 05/08/18 12.59

ROBBY IRFANY

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