Denpasar Studies Plastic-to-Fuel Plan for Municipal Operations

Denpasar — — Denpasar’s environment and sanitation agency is preparing a plan to process plastic waste into fuel for its own operations, with officials indicating a provisional target of November 2026 for implementation according to local media reports.

The initiative was outlined by Ida Bagus Putra Wirabawa, head of the city’s Environment and Sanitation Agency (DLHK), in remarks reported by Tribun-Bali.com on 20 September 2026. He said the plan to turn plastic waste into fuel oil, known locally as bahan bakar minyak (BBM), is still in the preparation and study phase and is being developed together with a team of experts.

Wirabawa stressed that any fuel produced would be used internally by the agency and would not be taken out of DLHK facilities for sale, according to Tribun-Bali.com. The plan is intended to complement existing waste-processing operations and help reduce the volume sent to the regional Suwung landfill.

What the city has proposed

In the Tribun-Bali.com report, DLHK Denpasar describes a plan to process plastic waste into BBM for municipal use, but does not specify the technology that would be used. Common options for plastic-to-fuel include thermal and chemical processes such as pyrolysis or gasification, yet no specific method has been publicly linked to the Denpasar proposal.

Wirabawa said the work would be carried out by personnel already operating at the city’s waste-processing facilities, identified as Pusat Daur Ulang (PDU) and Tempat Pengolahan Sampah Terpadu (TPST). These facilities currently focus on turning organic and inorganic waste into products such as compost, fuel pellets, maggot feed and plastic-based paving blocks, according to NusaBali.com.

According to Tribun-Bali.com, DLHK Denpasar is targeting November 2026 to begin implementing the plastic-to-fuel program. Officials have not publicly detailed the expected fuel quality, the municipal vehicles or machinery that would use it, or whether the output would require further refining before use.

Waste volumes and existing processing

The plastic-to-fuel proposal sits alongside ongoing efforts to cut waste deliveries to Suwung landfill, where operations are being gradually restricted and scheduled closures have been introduced to support capping and rehabilitation. Provincial and local authorities have responded by strengthening upstream processing through PDU, TPST and smaller community-scale facilities.

NusaBali.com reports that the PDU Padangsambian Kaja facility in Denpasar can currently process about 20–25 tonnes of mixed organic and inorganic waste per day. Waste is turned into compost, pellets and maggot feed, while non-organic material is processed into plastic products and paving blocks, with remaining residue still requiring disposal.

Separate coverage by Tribun-Bali.com shows that recycled plastic paving blocks produced at PDU Padangsambian have already been installed in public spaces, including 8,500 blocks laid over 180 square metres in the jogging track at Lumintang City Park. The city has also begun using recycled plastic boards for public signage in the same park in collaboration with Bali Waste Recycle, according to NusaBali.com.

Environmental safeguards and open questions

While DLHK Denpasar has highlighted waste sorting at source as a prerequisite for successful recycling and recovery, neither Tribun-Bali.com nor NusaBali.com provide technical details of the proposed plastic-to-fuel system, such as emissions controls, residue handling or occupational safety measures.

Key parameters that remain undisclosed include the type of plastic feedstock to be used, the projected fuel output, energy consumption, treatment of contaminated materials and the management of ash or other process residues. No information has yet been reported on environmental permits, performance standards or independent evaluation procedures that would apply to the project.

Given the absence of confirmed technology and operating data, the November 2026 date described by DLHK Denpasar should be understood as a target for starting implementation rather than a guarantee that a fully operational plastic-to-fuel facility will be in place by then. Public statements so far indicate an initiative under study that aims to extend Denpasar’s existing waste-to-product efforts into the fuel sector, while continuing to rely on PDU and TPST facilities to limit the city’s dependence on Suwung landfill.

Sources

• Tribun-Bali.com
• NusaBali.com
• Detik Bali
• Desa.nu