Trienekens Awarded 35-Year Concession Agreement To Implement IWMS For Samalaju Industrial Park, Bintulu
KUCHING: As part of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy development initiatives, the Samalaju Industrial Park (SIP) in Bintulu was earmarked as a major growth node for heavy and energy-intensive industries.
ITS OFFICIAL… State Secretary, YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Bin Abdul Ghani and Trienekens Samalaju Director, Jurgen Pickenhagen (3rd and 4th left) with (from extreme left) Deputy State Attorney General, Talat Mahmood Abdul Rashid; Director of State Planning Unit, Datu Haji Ismawi Bin Haji Ismuni; and Elvin Wee, Trienekens Samalaju Director.
Recognising the importance of having a waste management system of international standards in place to cater to these upcoming industries, the Sarawak State Government commissioned a detailed feasibility study for the implementation of an Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) specifically for the area. Concluding from the in-depth study that covered environmental, technical, financial, economic and social factors, a decision was then made to implement the Samalaju IWMS.
The System will be Sarawak’s second Integrated Waste Management System – the initial IWMS being in operations since 2000 when it was first developed and implemented by Sarawak Wastes Management Sdn Bhd (a joint venture between Trienekens GmbH, Germany and Sarawak Incorporated Sdn Bhd), with Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd as the System’s operator. The first IWMS integrated the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of both municipal and hazardous waste and features a state-of-the-art treatment facility located in Kuching.
Bearing in mind that the ability to develop an effective Integrated Waste Management System requires the expertise of applying environmentally sound technologies, technical proficiency and knowledge of policy frameworks, and considering Trienekens’ proven expertise, experience, track record and commitment in the State; Trienekens (Samalaju) Sdn Bhd was recently awarded a 35 years Concession Agreement to implement an IWMS for the Samalaju Industrial Park on a Design, Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (DBOOT) basis with private funding. The total investment cost is projected at RM900 million, starting with a 1st Phase of RM250 million.
The private funding will shift the financing burden from the State to private investors as part of infrastructure privatisation moves. However, in maintaining an interest in infrastructure development, the State will subscribe to a shareholding in the concessionaire company through the provision of land sublease as a form of a Public-Private Partnership.
A signing ceremony of the Concession Agreement was held in Wisma Bapa Malaysia on 1 September 2015 between the Sarawak State Government and Trienekens (Samalaju) Sdn Bhd, who were represented by State Secretary, YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi Bin Abdul Ghani and Trienekens Samalaju Director, Jurgen Pickenhagen. Also present were Director of State Planning Unit, Datu Haji Ismawi Bin Haji Ismuni; Deputy State Attorney General, Talat Mahmood Abdul Rashid; and Elvin Wee, Trienekens Samalaju Director.
The new cutting edge Integrated Waste Management System will include a Waste Transfer Station in Samalaju, as well as a Waste Management Centre in Maskat, 44 kilometres from the Samalaju Industrial Park. Custom designed to the types of waste that will be generated in SIP, the new IWMS will ensure the holistic management of both municipal and hazardous waste for environmental protection and preservation.
YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Mohamad Morshidi expressed his hope that Trienekens would continue to upkeep their facilities and deliver excellent service, while applying more sophisticated, greener technologies in their operations. He added, “Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia with an Integrated Waste Management System in place, and soon we will have two. With this new addition, I trust that the Trienekens Group will continue to ensure that Sarawak remains as the ideal example of a sustainably developing State with exemplary waste management systems, and that we will always meet the expectations of an increasingly sophisticated population for many years to come.”