Indonesia: Construction of the first integrated MSW to RDF processing facility in Indonesia has been started

On 26 July 2017, The Regency of Cilacap, PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk, Central Java Provincial Government, Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry and Danish Government, held a ground-breaking and MOU signing ceremony of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Processing Facility Project, in TPA Tritih Lor, Jeruklegi District, Cilacap Regency, Central Java.

This facility will be the first integrated MSW to RDF processing facility in Indonesia with the investment of around 60 billion rupiah. The facility will be built on a 1 Ha land owned by The Regency of Cilacap and is expected to be finished by the third quarter of 2018. At the operational stage, this facility will be able to absorb up to 120 tons of MSW per day, that will be processed with a bio drying method to become RDF. RDF is a type of alternative fuel that can be used to substitute the traditional fuel (coal) in Holcim Cilacap cement plant.

H. Tatto Suwarto Pamuji, Head of Cilacap Region said that the cost of finding new land space for a landfill costs around 40 billion rupiah for every five years, not to mention the land scarcity challenge and the high possibility of community rejection. On the other side, the sanitary landfill method we are using is unable to solve the waste challenge in a sustainable way. "The Regency of Cilacap then took the initiative to propose the MSW management cooperation to several stakeholders, including to the private sectors. One of the private sectors who responded positively was PT Holcim Indonesia, Tbk., with the innovative and sustainable solution using RDF method to process the MSW,” adds Tatto.

“To achieve our Sustainable Ambition 2030 targets, Holcim Indonesia through its business unit, Geocycle, is thriving to increase the use of alternative fuel and raw material usage, including RDF. By pioneering, designing the technology concept, and operating this facility later on, we contribute in providing innovative, sustainable and economically feasible solution to solve the MSW challenge in Cilacap Regency, a solution that can be replicated in other provinces in Indonesia,” says Heli Sastrosatomo, Legal & Corporate Affairs Director Holcim Indonesia.

The journey of this project started in 2013. Back then, The Regency of Cilacap and Holcim Indonesia as the project initiator, conducted feasibility study and economic viability of Refuse Derived Fuel waste processing technology, followed by a one-year trial in the Geotainer facility, located in Holcim Narogong Plant, West Java. The support to realize this project then came from other stakeholders.

Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry had the initiative to coordinate with all the stakeholders of this project. Danish Government through its ESP3 program agreed to contribute in providing the mechanical and electrical equipments for this project. Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing will contribute in building the main facilities needed. The Central Java Provincial Government will contribute in financial assistance for the construction of supporting facilities and supporting the operational cost for the first five years. All of the facilities will be built on the land owned by The Regency of Cilacap, who committed in supporting the operational cost of the facility and will provide new trucks to improve the waste transport capacity to up to 120 tons per day.

This project is a first step towards providing alternative solution to solve the waste challenge in Cilacap Regency. In the future, the learnings from RDF project development could become an added value for the preservation of the environment.