Pertamina to Build Trash-Fueled Power Plant at Indonesia’s Largest Dump

Erwida Maulia

Indonesia’s state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina plans to construct a solid waste incinerator at the nation’s largest landfill, Bantar Gebang.

The Bekasi, West Java power plant will generate 120 megawatts of power by burning solid waste, Pertamina gas director Hari Karyuliarto said in a press statement on Tuesday.

The incinerator will cost $180 million to construct and is expected to come online in 2014.

“This measure is part of the company’s expansion as we no longer focus solely on oil and gas business management, but also try to become an integrated energy company that manages new and renewable energies,” Hari said in the statement.

Some 6,000 tons of garbage are reportedly dumped at the site every day. The power plant will burn an estimated 2,000 tons a day.

The Bantar Gebang incinerator will be Pertamina’s first solid waste power plant, said Ali Mundakir, vice president for corporate communications.

It the project is successful, the oil company plans to construct other incinerators at dumps across Indonesia.

Construction is expected to being next year, Ali said.

“The electricity generated will be channeled to the Java-Bali interconnection,” he told The Jakarta Globe over the phone.