PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java Provincial Government is moving quickly to address the waste crisis in the Greater Bandung area following the increasingly dwindling capacity of the Sarimukti Final Disposal Site (TPA) in West Bandung Regency.

This was conveyed by the Regional Secretary of West Java, Herman Suryatman, after the Coordination Meeting on Integrated Waste and Environmental Management in the Priangan Region of West Java with the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, at the Pakuan State Building, Bandung City, Monday (5/5/2025).

"In the meeting, the Governor said that we cannot only rely on Sarimukti because it is limited. So there must be progressive efforts from the regencies and cities in the Bandung basin and we will fight for it together through mutual cooperation," said Herman.

According to Herman, currently the Sarimukti TPA only relies on Zone 3 with a remaining capacity of around 50,000 tons.

With a daily waste volume reaching 1,200 tons, the capacity is estimated to only last for the next 41 days.

"Zone 3 Sarimukti is only 41 days away. But we have anticipated. Zone 5 is in the finishing stage and is targeted to be operational by mid-June (2025)," said Herman.

However, he stressed that short-term solutions alone are not enough. The West Java Provincial Government together with the district/city governments in Greater Bandung are preparing a strategic step by procuring a medium-scale incinerator based on Motah (Mesin Olah Runtah) technology, which is capable of processing 10 tons of waste per day.

Runtah in Sundanese means trash.

"To reduce dependence on Sarimukti, we need around 84 additional incinerators. The projection is worth Rp117 billion and will be shared through mutual cooperation between the province and city districts," he explained.

In detail, Bandung City requires 43 units, Bandung Regency 25 units, Cimahi City 6 units, and West Bandung Regency 10 units.

In addition, existing incinerators and other processing technologies such as maggots and composting are also requested to be optimized 100 percent.

"The Governor asked that all incinerators that are currently available be used optimally. We ask regional heads to make efforts so that the existing facilities are truly running effectively," he said.

Herman also conveyed the development of the Legok Nangka project as a long-term solution for regional waste management.

Letter of assignment

Currently, the process is waiting for the assignment letter from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to PLN so that it can enter the financial close stage at the end of 2025.

"If the assignment letter is issued, the construction of the waste to energy installation by the consortium can begin in early 2026. The target is to complete it in 36 months. That will be in sync with the end of Sarimukti's service life in mid-2028," Herman explained.

With synergy and mutual cooperation between stakeholders, Herman is optimistic that West Java can emerge from the emergency waste situation and build a more sustainable management system.