Selangor pours RM2b into green waste-to-energy plants

KUALA SELANGOR - The Selangor government, through its subsidiary Worldwide Holdings Bhd (Worldwide), has invested approximately RM2 billion to develop three waste-to-energy (WTE) plants as part of a long-term plan to improve sustainable solid waste management in the state.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the three plants, located in Jeram and Tanjung Dua Belas, Kuala Langat, will play an important role in managing a large portion of the state's domestic solid waste, which is currently estimated at 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes per day.

According to Worldwide, WTE Plant 1, which has begun operations in Jeram, is capable of processing up to 1,500 tonnes of solid waste per day and generating about 26 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to meet the needs of 26,000 households, depending on energy consumption patterns.

"When WTE 2 is completed and fully operational, waste management capacity in Jeram will increase to approximately 3,500 tonnes per day. The remaining 2,000 tonnes will be managed through WTE 3 in Tanjung Dua Belas.

"These three plants are expected to significantly reduce the amount of waste that must be sent to landfills. Of the projected 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes per day, only around 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes of non-combustible (inert) waste will continue to be disposed of in landfills,” he told the media after officiating the opening ceremony of WTE Plant 1 in Jeram today.

The event was also attended by the state executive councillor for local government and tourism, Datuk Ng Suee Lim, and Worldwide Holdings group chief executive officer Datin Paduka Norazlina Zakaria.

Commenting on the project's progress, Amirudin said that the WTE 2 is expected to be completed as early as October, or at the latest by November this year, while construction of the WTE 3 in Tanjung Dua Belas has already begun. He said that based on the experience of developing WTE 1 and WTE 2, which commenced in 2023, the construction period for a WTE plant typically takes between two and two-and-a-half years to complete.

"For the project in Jeram, there were several technical challenges, including the need to address buffer zone issues during construction, which caused the implementation period to take slightly longer,” he added.

He said the WTE 3 is expected to begin operations by late 2027 or early 2028, thereby completing the state's network of WTE facilities and enhancing waste management efficiency and renewable energy generation.

Amirudin assured that the operations of all WTE plants comply with the strict standards set by the Department of Environment (DOE).

He said that the centralised monitoring system in the plant's control room allows operational data and emissions readings to be transmitted directly to the DOE, ensuring continuous compliance. "We practice a high level of transparency and will continue to ensure that all criteria and standards set by the authorities are fully complied with,” he added. - BERNAMA