Inside the Keppel Seghers Waste-to-Energy Plant

On 30th May, the PA Sustainability team joined a group of curious parents and educators for a visit to the Keppel Seghers Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Plant in Tuas. The visit, organised by our teammate Vrinda, offered a rare look into Singapore’s waste management system, what many call “state-of-the-art.”

And yet, as we listened, asked questions, and watched towering machines devour the city’s waste, a deeper unease began to settle in me. Because what’s framed as efficient and innovative also raises troubling questions about scale, sustainability, and long-term thinking.

The Tour: Behind Closed Doors

Our visit began in a small presentation room with a slideshow that explained the fundamentals: where Singapore’s waste comes from, how it’s categorised, and what happens once it leaves our bins. We learned that Singapore produces 18,792 tonnes of waste per day, with:

• 51% recyclable (mostly construction and commercial),
• 46% incinerable, and
• 3% non-processable.

We then had a Q&A session with a representative from the Keppel Seghers team, who shared details about the plant’s capabilities, environmental controls, and upcoming infrastructure projects including the mega-plant scheduled to open in 2026.

The most striking part of the tour was visiting the viewing platform, where we watched the now-famous giant claw, a massive mechanical arm scooping tonnes of trash from the deep bunker floor. This waste is "aerated," or aired and dried, to prepare it for incineration. The process begins here, but it doesn’t end with flames.

The Step-by-Step Waste Process

Here’s what actually happens to your trash when it arrives at the Keppel Seghers plant:

Weighing and Reception
Waste collection vehicles are weighed before and after unloading at the weighbridge, allowing the facility to track the amount of waste received. Once weighed, trucks discharge their loads into large, enclosed refuse bunkers.

Odour Control & Aeration
To prevent unpleasant odours from escaping, the air in the refuse bunker is kept below atmospheric pressure. Meanwhile, the waste is stirred and aired to reduce moisture, preparing it for more efficient combustion.

Feeding the Incinerator
A grab crane feeds the waste from the bunker into the incinerator. Inside, the temperature reaches between 850°C and 1,000°C. The interior is lined with refractory materials to protect the walls from intense heat and corrosion.

Incineration & Volume Reduction
During combustion, waste is reduced to ash, just 10% of its original volume. But that ash, while smaller, still has to go somewhere.

Energy Recovery
The intense heat produces superheated steam in high-pressure boilers. This steam drives turbogenerators, producing electricity. Keppel Seghers alone generates up to 22 MWh/day, with all five WTE plants in Singapore contributing to a modest share of the national grid.

Flue Gas Treatment
The flue gases produced during incineration are cleaned through a multi-stage treatment system:

Electrostatic precipitators remove dust particles from the gas stream.

Lime powder dosing neutralises acidic gases like sulphur dioxide.

Catalytic bag filters and activated carbon trap dioxins, furans, and heavy metals.
The treated gas is then released through chimneys that stand 100–150 metres tall. While the process complies with regulated emissions standards, trace pollutants can still remain.

Metal Recovery
After incineration, ferrous scrap metals are extracted from the bottom ash and sent for recycling, one of the few true material recovery stages in the process.

Ash Disposal
The remaining incineration ash, about 1,580 tonnes daily, is transported to the Tuas Marine Transfer Station, then shipped offshore to Semakau Landfill. Though the waste volume is smaller, the landfill is expected to reach capacity by 2035.

Semakau Landfill: A Disappearing Solution

Semakau is Singapore’s only landfill, located offshore and created by enclosing part of the sea with a rock embankment. Waste ash is transported by barge and placed in lined cells to prevent leaching into the ocean.

It’s a remarkable feat of engineering and a temporary fix.

Despite its high-tech appearance, Semakau is simply where the leftovers go. And it’s running out of space. Current estimates suggest it will be full by 2035. That’s barely a decade away. Once it reaches capacity, there’s no new plan in place, only the hope of future technology or reduced waste. But as incineration infrastructure expands, the flow of ash shows no signs of slowing.

The Bigger Picture: A Linear System, Dressed as Circular

While WTE plants may look efficient, they hide a linear system that prioritises destruction over regeneration. Waste becomes fuel; recycling, especially at the household level, is downplayed because it doesn’t feed the incinerators.

This isn’t circularity. It’s business as usual, just better managed.

At Wilde Hippi, we believe we need a deeper shift. Burning waste is not a solution. It delays responsibility, disincentivises reduction, and quite literally buries the problem for future generations.

So, What Can We Do?

We don’t need to wait for the next big plant or landfill crisis to act. We can begin now, by:

• Choosing materials designed for reuse, repair, and composting
• Saying no to unnecessary packaging and fast-consumption habits
• Supporting brands and community initiatives that close the loop
• Demanding transparency from those managing our waste

We're also planning a visit to Semakau Landfill when it reopens to visitors in 2026—to better understand where this story ends, and how we can begin to rewrite it.

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Thanks for walking this journey with me. 🌸

With gratitude,
Tala 🌿 💚