The Pasir Gudang landfill will reach the end of its lifespan this year. – Filepic
THE Bukit Payung sanitary landfill project in Batu Pahat is expected to be completed in the last quarter of this year and will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2023.
Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) Johor director Cairul Hisham Jalaluddin (pic) said work was progressing well at 90%.
“It was initially scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2021 but construction was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic,’’ he said in an interview with StarMetro.
He said work was temporarily suspended for about 90 days from the time the first movement control order was imposed on March 18, 2020.
An open tender to select an operator to manage the sanitary landfill would take place upon completion of the project and handing over to SWCorp.
Cairul said the landfill was approved by Housing and Local Government Ministry at the start of 2019, and work began in April the same year.
“The Bukit Payung landfill is critical to meet waste disposal needs in the central and northern parts of Johor,” he said.
He added that the 20ha landfill would be able to accommodate waste from Batu Pahat, Kluang, Labis, Muar, Renggam, Tangkak and Yong Peng.
Located 130km from Johor Baru, the project comprises two components, which are a sanitary landfill and an incinerator.
“It will be the first landfill in Johor to incorporate waste-to-energy (WTE) technology,” said Cairul.
While the lifespan of a normal landfill was about seven years, he said the WTE would help prolong the lifespan of the Bukit Payung landfill to about 20 years.
The Bukit Bakri landfill in Muar reached its full capacity in Febru-ary last year while the Tanjung Langsat landfill in Pasir Gudang under the Pasir Gudang City Council would reach its maximum capacity this year.
Cairul said three other landfills, namely in Batu 4 (Kota Tinggi), Pekan Nanas (Pontian) and Jemaluang (Mersing), would reach their full capacity in 2024.
The lifespan of the Maokil landfill in Labis, Segamat is until 2026, while the Seelong site in Kulai, managed by the Johor government, will reach its capacity in 2037 and Buloh Kasap landfill in Segamat, 2039.
