Beeah, a UAE-based leader in integrated environment and waste management sector, has announced that the construction work has been completed on the country’s first waste-to-energy plant located in Sharjah, and the project is now entering the testing and commissioning phase.
The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is the first project of Emirates Waste to Energy, a joint venture established by Beeah Energy, the renewable energy business of Beeah Group and Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, based in Abu Dhabi.
Once tested, commissioned and operational, the 30-MW low-carbon power plant will enable Sharjah to become the Middle East’s first zero-waste city, turning unrecyclable waste into clean energy and increasing the current landfill diversion rate from 76% to 100%, said the statement from Beeah.
It will also help reduce waste sent to landfill across the UAE, while contributing to the nation’s clean energy resources.
At full operational capacity, the plant will help divert up to 300,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste away from landfill each year while producing 30 megawatts (MW) of low-carbon electricity, enough to power 28,000 homes in Sharjah, the statement added.
Beeah Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel said: “Completion of construction is an important milestone for our Emirates WtE venture, as we continue to pioneer clean energy innovations in the UAE. We look forward to a successful testing and commissioning phase followed by achieving full operations, which will make Sharjah the Middle East’s first zero-waste city.”
“This will also be a landmark moment as we work towards a zero-waste, clean-energy future for the nation, the region and beyond,” he added.
Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: “Masdar is proud to be partnering with Beeah leveraging our more than a decade and a half of experience in the clean energy sector to help pioneer the UAE’s first waste-to-energy power plant.”
“With the construction phase of the project now complete, we look forward to harnessing our knowledge in the growing waste-to-energy space to help tackle the global climate challenge through sustainable waste management enabled by clean energy solutions,” he added.
Constructed by France-based industrial contractor CNIM, the plant covers an 80,000 sq m area and follows EU Best Available Techniques to align with the strictest environmental standards globally.
“From conception to completion of construction, the Sharjah plant has demonstrated sustainability and innovation by design. Going into the testing and commissioning phase, our goal is to ensure that these fundamentals continue to be upheld,” remarked Al Huraimel.
In addition to diverting 300,000 tonnes of waste away from landfill, the 30 MW plant will displace almost 450,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year and preserve the equivalent of 45 million cu m of natural gas.
Al Ramahi said: “Through the Emirates Waste to Energy company, both Masdar and Beeah are pioneering a new clean energy innovation for the UAE. With construction complete on our first plant, we will soon demonstrate the efficacy of this innovation and work towards replicating its success in more areas of the UAE and beyond.”
“The duo has begun exploring opportunities for the Emirates Waste to Energy company to open similar plants across the UAE and the wider region,” he added.