MPR Encourages Balikpapan Waste Solutions Through PSEL Development

Deputy Chairperson of the MPR RI Eddy Soeparno (left) met the Mayor of Balikpapan Rahmat Mas'ud at the Balikpapan City Hall to encourage solutions for handling waste in Balikpapan through the construction of an electricity/intermediate Energy Waste Plant (PSEL)

MPR RI encourages solutions for handling waste in Balikpapan through the construction of Electricity Waste (PSEL) after Deputy Chairman of the MPR RI Eddy Soeparno met Balikpapan Mayor Rahmat Mas'ud at Balikpapan City Hall (19/9).

Eddy expressed his support for the city government's efforts to find comprehensive solutions considering that the volume of waste in Balikpapan reaches 500 tons per day, but has not yet been included in the scope of the revision of the presidential regulation regarding waste management which is still in the finalization process.

"Therefore, we will help find the best solution so that the amount of waste, which amounts to approximately 500 tons per day, can be decomposed, then used as part of an electric energy waste plant that will indeed be built in 33 places throughout Indonesia to reduce the problem of waste that has entered the emergency phase," said Eddy in a statement received in Jakarta, Saturday.

In the meeting which was also attended by the Head of the Environment Agency and Assistant I Mayor of Balikpapan, he targeted the construction of PSEL to solve 60 70 percent of the national waste problem by 2028.

According to him, the increase in the amount of waste is directly proportional to the increase in population, especially in big cities with a high intensity of economic activity, resulting in a lot of waste, especially food and plastic waste.

Eddy emphasized his full support to the Balikpapan City Government so that the waste problem can be resolved as soon as possible.

He also encourages settlements in cities with a volume of garbage below a thousand tons per day to still be able to take advantage of renewable energy technology or in this context, waste to energy. He later admitted that he had received input from the Mayor and would absorb his aspirations.

"We make sure that we will immediately discuss this with the Ministry of Environment and the Coordinating Ministry for Food," he added.

Previously, Eddy himself had collaborated similarly with a number of regional heads, including the Mayor of Yogyakarta, Solo, South Tangerang, Manado, Makassar, Palembang, and now Balikpapan.