SIG And Gresik Regency Government Sign Cooperation On The Utilization Of Alternative Fuels From Waste

Gresik Regent, Fandi Akhmad Yani (left) and GIS Operations Director, Reni Wulandari (right) after signing the Joint Agreement on the Utilization of RDF (refuse-derived fuel) in Gresik. (Photo: Doc. SIG)

JAKARTA - PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (SIG) and the Gresik Regency Government (Pemkab) signed a Joint Agreement on the use of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) or alternative fuel from waste processing at TPST Sacrejo and TPST Ngipik, Gresik Regency, East Java. This collaboration is a strategic step to overcome waste problems in Gresik Regency while at the same time supporting an increase in the portion of alternative fuel use at the GIS factory.

The signing of the Joint Agreement was carried out by the Regent of Gresik, Fandi Akhmad Yani and Director of Operations for SIG, Reni Wulandari in a series of events for the Inauguration of TPST Sacrejo, Kedamean District, Gresik, East Java, on Thursday, February 29.

The Ngipik TPST and TPST have been equipped with RDF facilities which each have a waste management capacity of 200 tons/day, with engine input capacity of 20 tons/day which can produce 3.8 tons/day RDF from inorganic waste and 9 tons/day RDF from organic waste. Through this collaboration, later RDF from the two facilities will be sent to the Tuban Factory SIG to be used as an alternative fuel for coal substitution.

The Regent of Gresik, Fandi Akhmad Yani, is grateful and appreciates SIG's willingness to cooperate with the Gresik Regency Government in waste management. Before the TPST of the Bagirejo was established, for years the waste from Gresik South area had to be sent to the Ngipik TPST in Gresik City which is relatively far away. This method is very ineffective and efficient, especially at that time the Ngipik TPST was not equipped with RDF facilities. Then the Gresik Regency Government completed the Ngipik TPST with RDF facilities which were inaugurated in June 2023.

"Alhamdulillah, there are already RDF offtakers from several TPSTs that we have, so later we don't need to be confused anymore. Later this RDF will be used as fuel at the cement factory," said Fandi Akhmad Yani.

SIG Operations Director, Reni Wulandari said, the enthusiasm to realize sustainable development goals encourages GIS to collaborate with local governments in handling urban waste in a sustainable manner. This collaboration not only helps the Gresik Regency Government create a clean environment, but also helps SIG get alternative environmentally friendly fuels as a decarbonization effort.

"SIG continues to expand collaboration with local governments in handling waste as a form of contribution in environmental conservation and global efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. In addition to RDF, GIS also uses biomass from rice husks, corncobs, palm reservoirs, and others as alternative fuels, to increase heat energy substitution (TSR) in order to achieve the target of reducing the intensity of CO2 emissions set in the SIG Sustainability Road Map 2030," said Reni Wulandari.

Recently, a subsidiary of GIS, PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk (SBI) has also recently collaborated with the Bantul Regency Government, DI Yogyakarta in the utilization of RDF. The cooperation was marked by the signing of a Joint Memorandum of Understanding in a series of activities to commemorate the 2024 National Waste Care Day (HPSN) and the inauguration of the Niten Bantul Market Intermediate Treatment Facility (ITF) operation, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday 27 February.

Bantul Regency with an area of 506.8 square kilometers and consists of 17 sub-districts, has the potential for debris to reach 440 tons per day. This number will continue to grow along with the increase in population in this region.

Furthermore, Reni Wulandari said, sustainable waste management with circular economic principles such as RDF, has many advantages. In addition to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and overcoming piles of waste that cause smell and health problems, the use of RDF also supports the acceleration of the achievement of the carbon emission reduction target launched by the government in 2060.

"The increasing waste volume is still a challenge for local governments in the midst of limited land for disposal sites and waste management facilities. As a company that has the ability and experience in waste management, SIG is ready to collaborate with the government in overcoming waste problems which are still a scourge, especially for local governments," said Reni Wulandari.

Before collaborating with the Gresik and Bantul Regency Governments, SIG through its subsidiary, SBI had already collaborated with a number of local governments, such as Aceh, Cilacap, DKI Jakarta, Banyumas, Temanggung, Sleman, Wonosobo, and waste management in Bali.

In Cilacap Regency, SBI not only utilizes RDF production from the RDF of the Jeruklegi Plant owned by the Cilacap Regency Government, but also becomes the initiator and operator of the first RDF facility in Indonesia. Since it was inaugurated by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment of Indonesia, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on July 21, 2020, the Cilacap RDF facility is now processing 160 tons of waste/day to produce around 70 - 80 tons of RDF/day. This amount has the potential to replace 50 - 60 tons of coal/day.