KUALA SELANGOR, May 25 — The Jeram Waste-To-Energy (WTE) 1 plant, which started commercial operations on May 13, has generated 28MW without any technical disruptions.
Select Committee for Agencies, Statutory Bodies and Subsidiaries chairman Rajiv Rishyakaran said the achievement proves the success of WTE technology in Selangor, adding that a main challenge was to ensure optimal heat levels when burning waste to ensure consistent energy generation.
“The concern was when previous WTE projects in Malaysia were unsuccessful and one challenge was when burning waste. If heat isn’t maintained to generate energy, the project won’t work.
“The design of WTE 1 can generate 25MW, and WTE 1 and 2 are expected to produce 50MW in total.
“The production of WTE 1 has reached 28MW, which means we have succeeded in converting waste to electricity. (Operators) also said that since the plant opened, there have been no (disruptions) and it has operated 24 hours,” he said after the select committee’s visit to the Jeram WTE 1 plant here today.
Also present during the visit were Kajang assemblyman David Cheong and Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin.
Rajiv, who is also Bukit Gasing assemblyman, said the plant processes around 1,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, which is nearly 400 truckloads of rubbish from areas under six local authorities’ jurisdiction.
“The design of this WTE is to burn 1,500 tonnes of waste per day, which is maybe less than 20 per cent of Selangor’s entire waste. For the WTE 2 later, it is another 1,500 tonnes, and after that the projects at Tanjung Duabelas and Rawang will help fulfil the state’s waste-burning requirements.
“For this project, the processing of 1,500 tonnes of waste per day seems to be going smoothly with six local authorities — Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Ampang Jaya, Klang, and Kuala Selangor,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Afif said the success of the plant is a good start in efforts to strengthen Selangor’s waste management system.
“Committee members are quite satisfied with this project, even though there are still things ongoing, and we hope Worldwide (Holdings Bhd) can keep improving its services.
“The state government must make important decisions in terms of waste management as it involves several quarters and needs a more comprehensive approach,” he added.
The Jeram WTE 1 plant is among the main initiatives under the First Selangor Plan (RS-1) to reduce dependence on landfills and boost the state’s waste management system.
Selangor’s first WTE plant is among the largest facilities of its kind in Southeast Asia and among the state’s main projects to strengthen waste management and sustainable energy generation.
Previously, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj decreed that the state government make better moves to develop the WTE industry, as it is among the main drivers of the future to address waste management challenges and sustainable energy needs.
