Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the age-old methodology of merely building new landfills to manage wastes is no longer tenable, highlighting the pressing need for evolution.
The conventional way of doing things has not only prolonged negative impacts on the soil, leaving undevelopable lands, but also falls short of addressing the anticipated waste management requirements of the future.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Waste-to-Energy Facility in Jeram today, he stressed the crucial role of innovative waste management.
“I hope this (facility) will kickstart a new normal of a different kind, a new normal which has the modern-day mantra of ‘sustainability’ at its heart and core, a new normal where we begin placing the building blocks to transition landfills into becoming more sustainable, like this Waste-to-Energy facility.
The Menteri Besar added that Malaysia generates approximately 38,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with Selangor alone contributing around 7,000 tonnes, accounting for nearly 19 percent.
Later at a press conference, he said conventional landfills, like those in Tanjung Dua Belas and previously in Jeram, would have a limited lifespan if not complemented with sustainable components.
“If we rely on traditional methods at our existing landfill sites, we anticipate they would only survive the next three to four years. After which, we would be pressed to identify new areas to set up additional landfills.
“However, one must consider the consequences of earmarking a new parcel of land, perhaps spanning 40 to 50 hectares. Such land would be rendered undevelopable for the next two decades or more.
“This not only results in a squandered land resource but also perpetuates environmental concerns, like methane gas emissions, pollution, or pest issues,” Amirudin said.
The project to develop the Waste-to-Energy facility in Jeram is managed by Worldwide Holdings Bhd (WHB) in partnership with Shanghai Electric, which acts as the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning contractor.
Located at the Jeram Integrated Solid Waste Management Center (ISWMC), this initiative looks to process 3,000 tons of solid waste daily, generating about 50 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy and is expected to be completed by 2026.
WHB also plans to expand its effort to develop a new waste-to-energy plant at the Tanjung Dua Belas ISWMC in Kuala Langat, capable of handling 1,800 tons of solid waste daily and producing 38 MW of electricity.
