A THIRD Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant may be necessary in Jeram if planned facilities cannot manage Selangor's waste volume, says State Government and Tourism Committee Chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim.
Currently, two WTE plants in Jeram are about 80% completed and are expected to be operational next year.
Two additional plants are planned in Tanjung Dua Belas, and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is ongoing for a WTE project in Rawang.
Ng said the state needs at least five to six WTE facilities to manage its projected daily waste output of 7,500 metric tonnes effectively.
"This number could potentially rise to 10,000 metric tonnes in the future. Currently, the Jeram landfills handle 5,000 metric tonnes of waste per day and are nearing saturation.
"The entire landfill site is approaching 202.3 hectares, and we need to use another 80.9 hectares to store the waste.
"Such a method is not sustainable, and the WTE approach is touted as the optimal solution, not only for generating clean energy but also for drastically reducing the land required for waste disposal," he said to reporters after launching the New Village Rejuvenation Programme at Kampung Bagan Hailam, Selangor.
The two WTE plants in Jeram are expected to handle 3,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, while the rest will still be directed to the landfill.
Ng said unlike landfills, which demand substantial maintenance costs, WTE plants offer a more sustainable and economically viable alternative.
"Even with WTE technology, a small percentage of waste, around 5%, cannot be incinerated. This material will still be directed to landfills," he said.
