The plans for the TWM Roku Integrated Waste Management Facility in Papua New Guinea were announced at the Third Clean Pacific Roundtable. 

This hub aims to provide a future solution for the wider Pacific island’s region, assisting with waste management solutions through controlled handling, treatment and disposal as well as recycling and recovery of waste resource products.

The TWM Group is a PNG owned and incorporated company established in 2011 that currently employs over 130 multi-skilled staff providing waste and water services, industrial services, environmental advisory services as well as other key support services including training and development, renewables, domestic shipping and logistics.

With a strong sustainable environment ethos, TWM plans to expand into becoming a suitable Pacific hub solution through the development of its Integrated Waste Management Facility.

“The facility will expand our waste types and complexities to process, reuse, recover and treat waste and will be able to handle up to 150,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste over a facility life of 50-plus years,” presented Kori Chan, the Managing Director of the TWM Group.

“PNG can become the ideal support facility in the future for Pacific Island nations.  We’ll be able to easily deploy personnel and the necessary equipment, we’ll have close proximity to major wharfing infrastructure, and we’ll have the specialist waste and industrial services expertise, infrastructure and experience to support solutions driven activities for clients and our neighbours.”

From 2017 – 2021 the TWM group have received over 617 thousand litres of waste oil and over 34,000 litres of oily water from across Papua New Guinea.  It has also exported over 550 thousand litres of waste oil and more than 47,000 litres of oily water from Papua New Guinea across the same period through permits held under the Basel Convention.

TWM estimates that approximately 12-plus million litres of legacy waste oil are stockpiled throughout PNG that poses both a risk and a threat to the country and the Pacific islands region.

In delivering change, TWM is actively participating in continuous improvement which has led to the vision of an Integrated Waste Management Facility for PNG and the Pacific.  The services provided by TWM will grow to help the Pacific Islands region dispose of, or recycle, waste in a safe manner in line with international conventions and standards.

“Our waste challenges grow in parallel to our waste solutions so the vision for the TWM Roku IWMF in Papua New Guinea is welcome news,” said Anthony Talouli, Acting Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

“We are hopeful by this announcement and look forward, to when this facility will be in action for our region.  It will enhance our regional cooperation for a Cleaner Pacific.”

As an example of creating beneficial reuse from waste using and in country solution, TWM have processed waste oil collected in PNG by creating a Processed Fuel Oil product.  Under optimum operating conditions, the TWM Waste Oil Processing Unit can process up to 7000 litres of waste oil a day with a yield of eighty-four percent.  PFO is then blended with diesel to operate the TWM industrial high temperature incinerator at the Roku IWMF.

The goal for a new integrated waste facility for the Pacific island’s region fits well within its vision of showcasing PNG as a leader in developing world class essential services that create a positive impact on the environment and society.

“But what does it require for us to truly implement this?  It requires good leadership and responsible decision making,” said Chan.

“It requires all of us, whether you’re public or private sector to adopt and implement the Environmental, Social and Governance principle and framework, as well as sustainable development goals in every activity that we do. It’s about being passionate, remaining disciplined and being committed to the cause.”

Kori Chan presented at the Third Clean Pacific Roundtable on Tuesday 15 November during the second technical session on private sector and industry. Chan was one of seven presenters that included Nancy Vito of the Samoa Stationery and Books Limited, Lindsay Teobasi of the Solomon Islands Recycling and Waste Management Association, Tony Khoury Executive Director at Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association of New South Wales Australia, Frederique Tini of Ecopavement SAS in New Caledonia, Aurore Gloaguen the Cluster Manager of Acotred Pacifique and Captain Simon Bennett of SWIRE Shipping.

The Clean Pacific Roundtable is held a virtual event held from 16 – 25 November.  It is a partnership event supported by New Caledonia, Acotred Pacific, Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), Australian Aid (AUS Aid), European Union (EU), Fonds Pacifique, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Province SUD and Province NORD.

This story was produced by Leanne, published at SPREP on 22 November 2021, reposted via PACNEWS.