The island’s first-ever waste-to-energy project : minus 640,000 tons of CO2 a year and plus 1,200 new «green» jobs
Bali held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Denpasar Raya waste-to-energy plant.
Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of Indonesia’s state investment agency Danantara Indonesia, said the facility will reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills by up to 80 percent, cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 640,000 tons a year, and create about 1,200 green jobs.
The project is being built and financed by China’s Zhejiang Weiming Environment Protection Co., Ltd., which will also operate the plant. According to the company, the facility is designed to process more than 500,000 tons of municipal waste annually, with the electricity generated expected to be enough to power around 100,000 households across the island.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster noted that construction is expected to be completed within two years. He said that once operational, the project will not only improve the environmental situation for local residents but also strengthen Bali’s image as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.
Indonesia’s Environment Minister Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat said the Bali project should serve as an example for other regions of the country, stressing that waste-processing technologies need to be adapted to local conditions — in some places it makes more sense to generate electricity, while in others, producing refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for industrial use is more effective.
Many developing countries face similar challenges — growing volumes of waste, limited landfill space, and dependence on tourism. Indonesia’s experience shows that waste-to-energy conversion can become part of a broader sustainable development strategy, one where environmental goals go hand in hand with economic interests.
