Jakarta. The Public Works Ministry plans to build 34 waste-to-energy facilities nationwide as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s green energy agenda.

Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo said waste management and renewable energy development have become a national priority under Presidential Regulation No. 109/2025 on Urban Waste Management through Environmentally Friendly Waste-to-Energy Technologies.

He highlighted the importance of integrated waste treatment facilities (TPST) and community-based 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) waste processing centers for small and medium-sized cities that lack large-scale management capacity.

“Major cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali can process more than 1,000 tons of waste daily and convert it into energy. But mid-sized cities still rely on TPSTs and community-based 3R waste processing centers,” Dody said Monday.

Indonesia will begin construction of waste-to-energy plants, also known as PSEL, in seven regions starting in March 2026. The pilot sites are Bali, Yogyakarta, and Semarang in Central Java; Medan in North Sumatra; and Bogor, Tangerang, and Bekasi in Greater Jakarta.

Funding and project management will be handled by the sovereign wealth fund Danantara, which has opened tenders for developers. CEO Rosan Roeslani said 204 companies, including 66 from overseas, have expressed interest. Each facility processing 1,000 tons of waste per day could generate between 15 and 25 megawatts of electricity, depending on waste composition.

Throughout 2025, the ministry, through the Directorate General of Human Settlements, has developed 979 community-based infrastructure projects in sanitation and waste management across 29 provinces and 105 cities and regencies. These include 841 community-based sanitation facilities expected to create 11,774 jobs under the cash-for-work program. 

Additionally, sanitation projects for religious educational institutions have reached 107 locations, generating 642 jobs. Meanwhile, 31 new 3R waste processing facilities are being built this year with an investment of Rp 22 billion ($1.3 million), creating 465 jobs.

The ministry is also advancing the Jakarta Sewerage Development Project (JSDP), a national strategic project to improve the capital’s water quality and sanitation access. Phase 1 of Zones 1 and 6, with a combined capacity of 240,000 cubic meters per day, is targeted for completion in 2027 and will serve nearly 1 million residents or 220,000 households. As of September 2025, construction progress reached 39.42 percent.

In waste management, key facilities completed include TPST Sentiong in Cimahi (50 tons/day, RDF technology), TPST Lebak Saat (10 tons/day, BSF system), and TPST Cicukang Holis II in Bandung (46 tons/day). The ministry also upgraded the Mamitarang Regional Landfill in North Minahasa, now capable of handling 350 tons of waste daily.

Between 2020 and 2024, the ministry built 33 landfills (TPA), 26 waste treatment sites (TPST), 833 3R facilities, 12 wastewater treatment plants (IPAL), and 33 sludge treatment plants (IPLT), while also strengthening national waste management policies.

The program lays the groundwork for Indonesia’s goal of achieving 100 percent national waste management coverage by 2029, through improved waste sorting at source, implementation of sanitary landfills, and the optimization of landfill permits nationwide.

“As we mark World Habitat Day, it’s a reminder that sustainable cities begin with cleanliness, order, and community care for waste and sanitation,” he said.