JAKARTA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's state-owned electricity firm PT PLN Indonesia Power, through its Labuhan Angin unit office in North Sumatra province, has started to process broken banknotes or the waste of them into electricity as an effort to provide efficient and environmentally friendly power sources.
The Labuhan Angin power plant utilizes paper money waste as a biomass-based primary energy mixture (cofiring), according to President Director of PLN Indonesia Power, Edwin Nugraha Putra.
He said the plant was also equipped with environmentally friendly technologies such as an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS), which would ensure that exhaust gas emissions would remain within the set threshold.
"The utilization of the banknote waste as a cofiring material supports the implementation of the waste-to-energy concept. This is in line with our net-zero emission target in 2060," Putra said on Thursday in Jakarta as quoted by Antara News.
Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, is currently trying to find alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Putra said the waste-turned-electricity project was part of the company's commitment to present innovative and environmentally friendly energy solutions.
The project, he said, not only reduced coal consumption but also provided a solution to the management of paper money waste that was previously destroyed.
"This innovation reflects our commitment to support the energy transition and strengthen the circular economy. Through the utilization of banknote waste, we not only reduce carbon emissions, but also add value to non-conventional waste," Putra said. ■
