By Alang Bendahara
SHAH ALAM, July 27 — Selangor will use the latest innovations to solve the issue of mounting solid waste under the First Selangor Plan (RS-1), said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
As Malaysia’s most populated state, Selangor also generates the most solid waste, scheduled waste and clinical waste.
“On average Selangor generates 7,220 tonnes of solid waste daily, or 22 per cent of the solid waste produced in Malaysia. The state is now moving toward integrated waste management to reduce the amount of garbage sent to landfills.
“Thus, RS-1 has outlined two strategies as well as five projects, programmes and initiatives.
“Of this, three are game changers including the development of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), Waste Management Action Plan as well as the Integrated Solid Waste Management Centre (ISWMC) and the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants,” he said during the tabling of RS-1 at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly here today.
Amirudin added that when built, the WTE plants will be able to convert an estimated 4,700 tonnes of solid waste to provide more than 90 megawatts (MW) of electricity daily, which will reduce the amount of solid waste generated in Selangor by 67 per cent.
“The use of technological innovation solutions including the WTE plants, biogas filtration and many more can turn waste into precious energy.
“The use of renewable energy will reduce dependency on sanitary landfills and increase the recycling rate,” he said.
Recently, Worldwide Holdings Bhd chief executive officer Datin Paduka Norazlina Zakaria said Selangor’s landfills will only be able to last for another four years, based on the current rate of waste generated.
She said its subsidiary KDEB Waste Management will begin constructing three WTE plants next year, with two in the Jeram sanitary landfill and another at the Tanjung Dua Belas sanitary landfill. They are expected to be completed as early as 2025.
Norazlina added that upon completion, Selangor will have the biggest WTE facilities in the country.
