ALOR SETAR: The incinerator plant in Langkawi is scheduled to resume operations in June next year after the completion of repairs on its main components, as announced during the Kedah State Legislative Assembly sitting.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, State Housing, Local Government, and Health Committee chairman Major (Rtd) Mansor Zakaria reported significant damages to the plant’s main components, necessitating repair work expected to last six months. The plant, which had been under the supervision of Drizzle Engineering Sdn Bhd since its testing and commissioning in October 2022, will see its operation and maintenance contract transferred to Bumi Segar Indah Sdn Bhd for a six-year term starting May 3, 2024.

Mansor further explained that the current operator is engaged in custodial tasks, including housekeeping, landscaping, security control, and environmental management. The operator is also responsible for the plant’s operation, maintenance, and upgrades, which involve adding new components within a
two-year timeframe. The plant is expected to conduct waste incineration for at least 3,000 hours annually, equating to approximately 11 days per month, to ensure optimal operations with the capacity to handle up to 100 tonnes of waste per day.

In a related development, Mansor addressed the proposed collaboration between the Kulim Municipal Council (MPKK) and a private company for a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant project. He indicated that no final decision had been reached on this initiative, which requires a substantial land area of about 50 acres and a daily intake of at least 1,000 tonnes of garbage. While several companies have suggested positioning the WTE disposal center centrally within the state to optimize waste collection from all districts, deliberations on the project’s future are still ongoing.