JAKARTA – PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk (INTP) continues to innovate in the use of alternative fuels to reduce its dependence on coal. One of the company's latest initiatives involves using waste as an energy source in its production processes.

Christian Kartawijaya, President Director of INTP, stated that energy costs from coal account for nearly 50% of the company's total expenses, making it essential to find alternative energy sources for efficiency. Currently, approximately 21% of the company’s energy comes from alternative fuels.

"These alternative fuels include rice husks, corn cobs, wood chips, and the latest addition, municipal waste," said Christian Kartawijaya during the "Meet The CEO" programme, a special interview series by IDNFinancials.com in collaboration with Suara.com, on Thursday (14/3).

In the interview with Mohamad Teguh, Editor-in-Chief of IDNFinancials.com, and Suwarjono, Editor-in-Chief of Suara.com, Christian explained that the waste is sourced from the Bantar Gebang landfill.

The waste undergoes shredding, drying, and separation processes to remove unusable materials. It is then turned into briquettes that can be used as fuel in cement production.

Currently, INTP processes about 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes of waste per day, producing around 700 tonnes of alternative fuel. "The company also plans to develop a similar project in North Jakarta, with a processing capacity of up to 3,000 tonnes of waste per day," Christian added.

In developed countries like Belgium and Japan, the use of waste-derived alternative fuels has reached 90%. However, in Indonesia, the adoption of this technology faces regulatory challenges. Despite this, Indocement has partnered with 8 to 10 local governments to support waste-to-energy initiatives.

In addition to the environmental benefits, using waste as fuel is more economical than conventional energy. Indocement hopes this initiative can provide a solution to waste management issues while also reducing carbon emissions from the cement industry.

Further details regarding this waste repurposing project is explained by Christian in this video. (DK/ZH)