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The project goal is the creation of a Model Waste Recovery Facility with a capacity of 50 tons/day that can be replicated in the 457 Regencies of Indonesia. It uses a low cost, low tech, decentralized and environmentally friendly approach that is sustainable without tipping fees. The population welcomes this project, because it adds jobs and replaces the formerly hazardous landfill. This unique and innovative project can serve as a model that contributes substantially towards solving Indonesia's huge waste problems. The obtained Carbon Credits are used to co-finance replications.

An adjacent Theme Park for students and Government officials focuses on climate change, waste solutions, water issues, alternative energy and energy saving. It educates on these topics and also supports the dissemination of the model Waste Recovery Facility.

This project is in an early stage of operational implementation. It can be expected that such an innovative and process oriented large scale project with a unique approach for large scale waste processing will run into unexpected operational and technical challenges. It was impossible to resolve scale up challenges in the earlier pilot plant project. While the visual impression suggests a nearly finished project (see Attachment), this is only true for the complementary Theme Park. The hidden technical and operational challenges of scaling up still require a number of activities to be resolved.

The main objective is a capacity expansion of the waste recycling facility from a 4 tons/day pilot plant to a replicable 50 tons/day full scale model. The 50 tons comprises all the waste that is collected daily by waste trucks in the Regency of Gianyar (population 500'000) and brought to the official land fill of the Regency that became also the project location.

The waste is composed of 80% of compostable organics, 10% recyclables and only
10% residue that is deposited in the adjacent landfill, thus extending its useful life 10-fold. Due to this rather unusual composition, the facility's main activity is composting. The capacity will slowly be scaled up from to 50 tons per day, a process that requires constant attention and corrective actions.

A 2'400 m2 light steel building has already been built. It will house waste separation, shredding of organics, subsequent composting and compost storage. Due to budget constraints the size of this building had to be downsized from the planned and really required 3,000 m2. Funding is still being sought to increase the building to its planned size.

Composting is not a high-tech process but nevertheless, large scale aerobic composting meets some tough technological challenges, especially if it is to be done at low cost. To comply with the CDM requirements for aerobic composting, blowers must force large amounts of air through the 3 m high, 28 m wide and up to 60 m long periodically turned compost pile.

As the project objective called for a low cost approach, the project established its own state-of-the-art compost research station and laboratory. Here the composting process is optimized by small scale comparative research in drums that is then confirmed in 4 m high laminar airflow boxes that simulate the full scale facility. Research into air delivery, composting speed and the reduction of frequency for periodical turning is ongoing.

The technology planned for the Gianyar Waste Project is a decentralized low tech solution with low investment and operating cost. The project goal is to create a model that can be copied all over Indonesia or even Asia. Especially if replicated on existing landfills, this approach can eliminate the inherent problems and hazards of existing landfills and therefore will be welcomed by the population.

Composting organics in an aerobic process on this scale is a new technology for Indonesia. The policy of the project is to source all equipment locally, which requires the transfer of technology for solutions not yet implemented elsewhere in Indonesia. Locally produced equipment reduces the cost and problems associated with importing them. Furthermore locally manufactured equipment allows easy modifications and repair. The technology transfer was implemented with local machine manufactures and concerned new designs as well as improvement in design and materials of existing equipment:

- Turning compost piles: conventional systems with heavy machinery cost up to USD 500,000. We do research into much cheaper pneumatic conveyors, but have yet to find the expected satisfying solution. For this process, APFED funding is sought.

Activities for this component will only start after the facility is running at full scale and as a routine operation. The goal are "how to do" documents and ten seminars on Bali, Java and Sumatra. The documentation will be very detailed with technical, scientific, layout, operational, financial and planning information. Funding for eight seminars is available and APFED funds are sought for the remaining two.

The project also has a strong climate change component that is exploited by registering it with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the UNFCCC. The official CDM registration is in progress. Indonesia so far has only about 10 registered and operational CDM projects.

The Carbon Credits are gained by the aerobic composting of organic material that otherwise would decay under anaerobic conditions in landfills and thus generate methane. Methane is a 21-times stronger greenhouse gas than the CO2 that is generated by aerobic composting.

According to the CDM Project Design Document (PDD), the project will become eligible for Carbon Credits amounting to 77'000 tons of CO2 equivalents over a 10 year crediting period. However, the total greenhouse gas reduction of the project is actually about 250'000 tons of CO2 but due to the applicable CDM methodology, only a third is eligible.

In view of the many current and expected visits from schools, government officials, NGOs and other interested parties, the existing redundant 400 m2 pilot plant building was transformed into the indoor section of a theme park focusing on climate change, alternative energy and renewable resources as well as solid and liquid waste disposal. The outdoor section includes the 50 ton/day recycling facility. The project strives to offer plenty of hands-on and interactive exhibits to engage especially students, thus increasing the intended educational impact. The Theme Park is nearly completed and the activity focuses on improving exhibits, a never ending task.