Prof. Dr. Ir. Enri Damanhuri: The Pioneer of University Incinerator in Indonesia

By Nida Nurul Huda

Editor Nida Nurul Huda

BANDUNG , itb.ac.id - Waste has always been part of the problems of a country , including Indonesia . But interest to resolve waste problem may only be done by a few people . One of them is Prof . Dr. . Ir . Enri Damanhuri  ( Chairman of the Air and Waste Management Expertise Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering ITB).

He is a first inventor  of  Waste Laboratory ( now Laboratory of Solid Waste and B3 ) in the corner of the Sasana Budaya Ganesha ITB ( ITB Sabuga ) . The laboratory is a laboratory and the Center for Solid Waste Management ( PPS ). This is the  first and only one in Indonesia in the scale of public universities . Due to  PPS , ITB can manage their own waste and not rely on the Department of Hygiene .


Waste Management Technology
Waste management in Indonesia by Enri still at a basic level . Communities tend to be quite content to see completed in the transport of waste products to the Final Disposal ( TPA ) . In fact, the waste in the landfill still needs to be processed again . Application of technology in waste management  is still a chore . " Indonesia does not have the technology to manage waste , " said Enri ( via Enviro ) .


Reflecting on waste management in the ITB , the technology used is better . PPS ITB has the incinerators technology. However , incinerators PPS ITB can not be said environmentally friendly because it does not have the components controlling the combustion air . Air control components typically have higher prices than incinerators it self. According to him , there are some countries such as Singapore and Japan, which has had a good waste management system . Singapore has four incinerators completed with air pollution control and have high efficiency .


According to him, Indonesia could follow the lead of the two countries. Provided thah Indonesia could spend heavily to build incinerators. For comparison , solid waste management in Bandung costs Rp. 30.000,00 - Rp. 35.000,00 per ton of waste . Waste management in Jakarta spends Rp. 110.000,00 per ton without transportation costs . Waste management costs in Singapore by incineration of Rp 600.000,00 per ton of waste . Meanwhile , Bandung alone produces around 1,750 tons of waste per day. So, to have a good  waste management  in  Bandung per day  is  cost a lot.

Change Behavior

Power Plant Waste emerging discussed lately is not something new . Trash can be a source of energy from the combustion process . This concept is known as waste to energy .
"The technology of sewage treatment was actually a lot , from the cheapest to the most expensive . Difficult part is to change human behavior , " he said . Behavior in question is arbitrary behavior in waste management or even littering .
Currently , besides teaching Enri also create different standards for landfill and waste management processes . Some of them even used internationally . " My goal , there is a good waste management , " system in Bandung," he hoped .