Jakarta, INTI - Waste-to-energy (WTE) has long been implemented in various Asian countries as a dual solution for managing waste and generating energy. Japan, Singapore, and South Korea are some examples, with varying approaches tailored to their respective circumstances.
Japan’s Incineration System as Main Solution
In Japan, WTE is the main foundation of waste management. According to data from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, there are approximately 1,004 incinerator facilities with a processing capacity of 174,598 tons per day. Approximately 40 percent are equipped with power plants with a total capacity of approximately 2.23 GW.
Overall, approximately 79 percent of city waste is processed through incineration and used as energy. Land constraints make landfills less of an option, making incineration the primary solution to reduce waste volume while generating electricity.
Singapore’s Integrated System
Meanwhile, Singapore is developing a more integrated system. Data from the National Environment Agency (NEA) records total waste generation reaching 6.66 million tons in 2024, with approximately half being recycled.
Non-recyclable waste is processed through incineration facilities, with the residue then disposed of at the Semakau Landfill. The country has four major WTE facilities capable of processing millions of tons of waste annually, with the generated electricity directly fed into the national grid as part of the utility system.
South Korea’s Circular Economy-Based Approach
South Korea, in contrast, has adopted a circular economy-based approach. The country has dozens of incineration facilities as part of its national waste management system and records a recycling rate of around 54 percent, one of the highest in the world. In addition to incineration, South Korea also processes organic waste such as food scraps into biogas and utilizes the heat for district heating systems.
A comparison of these three countries shows that the success of WTE is highly dependent on its supporting ecosystem. Japan prioritizes capacity and stability, Singapore emphasizes system integration, while South Korea focuses on a more diversified circular approach.
Indonesia is Still Developing Its WTE Infrastructure
On the other hand, Indonesia is still accelerating the development of WtE infrastructure. The government is targeting the construction of waste and energy processing facilities (PSEL) in various major cities to reduce the burden on landfills.
The approach used generally adopts incineration technology like that used in China, which is capable of processing large amounts of mixed waste without requiring complex sorting at the initial stage.
Conclusion
Waste-to-energy (WTE) utilization in Asia demonstrates different approaches across countries. Japan relies on large-scale incineration as the backbone of waste management; Singapore implements an integrated system of recycling, incineration, and landfill; and South Korea prioritizes a circular economy with a combination of high recycling, biogas production, and heat recovery. The success of all three is underpinned by robust support systems. Meanwhile, Indonesia is still developing its WTE infrastructure, focusing on incineration technology to reduce the burden on landfills in major cities.
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