The Construction Of The Sunter ITF Will Continue To Be Delayed, Anies' Subordinates Ask Jakpro To Immediately Deal With Investors

The transfer of waste in the Integrated Waste Processing project area or ITF Sunter, Jakarta, in February 2019. (Between)

JAKARTA - Ahead of the end of the term of office of DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, the realization of the Sunter Intermediate Treatment Facility (ITF) development project still has not found a bright spot.

Head of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency, Asep Kuswanto, explained that there are actually potential investors who have looked at waste processing facilities as a source of electrical energy.

Therefore, Asep hopes that PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) as the BUMD will develop the Sunter ITF to immediately agree on cooperation with investor partners. Although, the construction target is confirmed to be delayed from the previous plan.

Finally, the DKI Provincial Government targets Jakpro to establish an agreement with partners in November.

"There must be a rescheduling (development target). Indeed, this all depends on the completion of Jakpro choosing partners. What we hope is that when partners are selected, the construction can start as soon as possible," Asep told reporters, Thursday, October 6.

Asep explained that currently there are three potential investors who are interested in working on the Sunter ITF project with Jakpro. Two partners are companies from China and one is from Europe.

The three partners have also submitted a cooperation proposal. Now, Jakpro is evaluating agreement material ranging from capital to nominal waste processing costs or tipping fees paid by the DKI Provincial Government for partners when the Sunter ITF operates.

"There are three selected partner candidates who submit proposals. The proposal contains various kinds of contents, from the technology, the capital, then the amount of the fee will be given. So, each partner is still submitting proposals to be evaluated later," explained Asep.

As is known, the Sunter ITF is a modern-tech waste processing facility that produces electricity. If it is in operation, the Sunter ITF will process 2200 tons of waste per day and reduce 30 percent of Jakarta's waste which is sent to the Bantargebang TPST every day.

The Sunter ITF is designed to destroy and reduce the volume of waste by 80 percent to 90 percent with the Euro 5 emission standard and generate 35 MW/hour electrical energy.

The idea of the Sunter ITF began in 2009 when Fauzi Bowo served as Governor of DKI. This plan was continued by Joko Widodo to Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, but there was no realization.

While in office, Anies Baswedan, who continued this project, had been groundbreaking for the Sunter ITF since 2018. The laying of the first stone at that time turned out to be just a ceremonial because construction was still stalled.

In its development, the planning for the construction of the Sunter ITF finally collaborated with a power generation company from Finland, Fortum Power Heat and Oy as investors. However, over time, Fortum left the Sunter ITF project because it did not get certainty.

The DKI Provincial Government plans to borrow money from the state-owned company PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) for the sake of projects that have an investment value of around Rp. 4 to 5 trillion. Unfortunately, the DKI Jakarta DPRD did not allow it, so Jakpro again looked for investors for the Sunter ITF.