Palembang waste-to-energy plant begins operational trials
Officials say the nearly Rp3 trillion facility is producing 18.6 MW, above its initial design target, ahead of a planned December inauguration.
A waste-to-energy plant in Palembang, South Sumatra, has begun commissioning and is supplying electricity to PLN’s grid, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said. The project represents an investment of nearly Rp3 trillion.
Speaking during an inspection with Palembang Mayor Ratu Dewa, Zulkifli said generation had reached 18.6 megawatts (MW), compared with the facility’s original design target of 17.7 MW. Output is projected to reach 20 MW at peak load.
Zulkifli said a few adjustments remained and that the plant was expected to become fully operational by December 2026. Ratu Dewa put construction progress at 98.5 per cent and said President Prabowo Subianto was scheduled to inaugurate it on December 8, 2026.
According to Zulkifli, processing the city’s waste could reduce accumulation and associated risks from fires, methane emissions and microplastic contamination. He said the electricity could serve between 14,000 and 15,000 households, while the project was expected to provide jobs for 500 to 1,000 local workers.
Ratu Dewa said municipal collections averaged 1,100 tons of waste daily to help supply the plant. The city still needed 171 additional waste collection vehicles, he said. South Sumatra’s provincial government had provided assistance, and the city had asked the central government for another 50 vehicles.
