Indonesia is inviting foreign investment into 33 planned waste-to-energy (WTE) plants aimed at curbing its escalating waste problem and reducing methane emissions. The programme, highlighted by Danantara Indonesia, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, and backed by the National Economic Council, estimates that one such facility in Jakarta could generate 20 MW of “green electricity” per day.
Although the initiative promises to convert large quantities of waste into power and advance Indonesia’s clean-energy ambitions, NGOs have raised concerns. Critics warn that incinerators may emit pollutants akin to coal plants and jeopardise the livelihoods of some 3.7 million informal waste-pickers who depend on recyclable materials for income.
