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Jakarta temporarily shuts down Rorotan RDF plant after pungent fume incident
The 7.8-hectare Rorotan RDF plant is part of Jakarta's efforts to tackle its growing waste problem. Originally scheduled to be fully operational by mid-March, the plant is designed to process about one-third of the city's 8,000 tonnes of daily waste, the majority of which is currently sent to the Bantar Gebang landfill.
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Controversial waste solution: PT Wijaya Karya (Persero) Tbk. (WIKA) said on Jan. 10 that the construction of the Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Plant Rorotan located in North Jakarta will later become the largest RDF waste treatment facility in the world based on its waste management capacity, as well as the fastest in its construction. (WIKA/WIKA)
T
he Jakarta administration has temporarily shut down the newly built refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant in Rorotan, North Jakarta, after it emitted thick, foul-smelling smoke during a test run last month, which caused respiratory infections among children in the surrounding area.
Head of the Jakarta Environment Agency, Asep Kuswanto, stated that the closure was necessary to allow the contractor to install equipment to address the issue, which includes deodorizers and filters to prevent air pollution.
“We will also transfer 800 tonnes of old waste and 600 tonnes of RDF products from the facility bunker to the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, to reduce unpleasant odor from the plant,” he said in a recent statement.
Asep also stated that the bunker and all facilities at the Rorotan RDF plant would be sterilized and treated with deodorizing liquid. Additionally, the agency will install air quality monitoring equipment in homes within a 4-5 kilometer radius of the waste processing plant.
The Rorotan RDF plant will resume its operation once the improvements are complete, starting with processing a small amount of fresh waste and gradually increasing its capacity over time.
On Feb. 13, thick, foul-smelling smoke, which was described by many as resembling the scent of pesticide, rose from the RDF Rorotan plant.
The fumes caused 11 children from the surrounding area to suffer from upper respiratory infections, while three others developed eye infections. All have since recovered, authorities said.
