The Selangor government is pushing for the new 700-tonne waste recycling plant proposed in Semenyih to be operational by the end of this year, so that the dumpsite in use can be closed immediately, said the developer.

Developer Recycle Energy Sdn Bhd will use technology known as refuse derived fuel (RDF) to recycle and process between 500 and 550 tonnes of daily waste that is currently handled by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj).

When contacted, executive officer Dr Noor Hisham Ramly said the state had asked for the construction of the plant to be expedited when the EIA is approved.

"We're waiting for the detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) report to be approved so we can start work immediately. The plant was initially slated for operations in 2006," he said.

"But we already have an agreement with the MPKj last November to process the waste generated within the municipality."

The month-long public display of the detailed EIA report ends on Saturday and written feedback must reach the Department of Environment (DOE) by Jan 29.

Modified technology

Noor Hisham said a Malaysian patent for the RDF technology, originally from India, was registered following extensive modification.

"This is the first commercial plant here to use RDF technology. We had to modify the processes quite a bit because out waste stream is very different from that of India," he said.

"We bought over the patent, modified some processes and registered a new patent in Malaysia about two years ago."

Noor Hisham was optimistic about the future of the RDF technology within the region, especially since he claims that enquiries from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have come in.

"There is clearly a lot of interest in the region for this technology. It is much cheaper than building incinerators as almost 90 percent of material is sourced or fabricated locally."

He claims the RDF can replace coal in the industrial sector and has been proven to be clean and efficient in converting waste to energy in an environmentally-friendly manner.

The technology will enable municipal solid waste to be processed without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thereby preventing build-up of the greenhouse effect.

He said UK-based engineering consultants Mott MacDonald, through its branch in India, will design the detailed engineering system for the plant which is estimated to cost RM115 million.

"Whichever way we look at this, the plant will reduce costs for MPKj, which will have to pay a RM30 tipping fee per tonne of waste instead of the current market rate.

"If the waste is sent to the Puchong sanitary landfill, the council has to pay between RM35 and RM40 as tipping fee."

Noor Hisham also said that, since RDF technology will not increase the MPKj's budget for waste management, ratepayers should not incur higher charges.

Last June, Recycle Energy signed a power purchasing agreement with power giant Tenaga Nasional Bhd for the supply of about 8.5 megawatts of electricity.

"We'll export about 5.5 megawatts to Tenaga and use the rest to run the plant," Noor Hisham added.

"With this plant, we're trying to provide alternative to coal and other (conventional) forms of fuel. For example, Europe has used RDF technology to replace the use of fuel in cement processing plants."

Residents in areas surrounding the proposed plant, including Kampung Pasir, Kampung Sungai Machang and Kampung Sentosa, had expressed concern when first told about it.

Data to be studied

Contacted yesterday, Broga sub-committee chairperson Dr Zulkefly Mohamad Omar said it is in the midst of obtaining the detailed EIA report - priced at RM1,000 - for the RDF plant.

"We heard that this is a much smaller plant compared to the incinerator but does not mean there is no danger from the burning of waste," he said.

"We understand that this plant removes plastics from being processed ... it could (just) mean that pollution may be on a smaller scale."

Zulkefly said representatives of Recycle Energy and the MPKj had briefed locals on the RDF plant at a meeting with the surau committee and village heads.

"The village heads were unhappy with the plan to build a plant in Kampung Pasir. The EIA approval is also pending. Furthermore, the authorities did not give satisfactorily answers about the plant."

He said the sub-committee will consider the data in the detailed EIA report before making a stand on it.

Residents, led by the Semenyih/Broga No Incinerator pro tem action committee, have steadfastly opposed a proposed RM1.5 billion mammoth incinerator in Broga and a sanitary landfill nearby.

Last October, the latter proposal failed to make the cut and was scrapped by the DOE as it was to be located within a water catchment area, the same argument used against the incinerator project.

Ironically, the DOE has given conditional approval for the EIA report for the incinerator despite the magnitude of the project.

The plant, designed to burn a maximum capacity of 1,500 tonnes of waste per day, will handle solid municipal wastes from the northern part of the Klang Valley and is expected to be commissioned in 2007.