Indonesia's Environment Minister announced new opportunities for methane capture projects at landfill sites, aiming to boost the country's carbon economy and cut greenhouse gas emissions. A South Korean company previously showed interest in developing a methane management project at the Bantargebang landfill in Bekasi, one of Southeast Asia's largest waste sites, with projected carbon revenue of around US$20 million. The Bantargebang landfill has been identified as the world's second-largest methane emitter, releasing over six tons of methane per hour. The government is now calculating methane production from landfills nationwide to assess the potential for emission-reduction carbon projects. Methane has more than 30 times the warming impact of CO2, making these projects highly effective for climate goals. A methane reduction roadmap is being prepared for Jakarta, with plans to replicate the model in other regions. The minister noted that similar opportunities exist across many open-dumping landfill sites throughout Indonesia, potentially attracting multiple investors to help solve the country's open dumping problem.
