Leading sustainability pioneer Beeah and Abu Dhabi clean energy group Masdar, have announced that its key venture, Sharjah Waste to Energy plant, has achieved major milestones towards zero-waste, net-zero emissions in first year of its operations. 

 

The Sharjah Waste to Energy (WtE), a first-of-its-kind project in the Middle East, has achieved multiple landmark milestones since its inauguration a year ago. 

 

Tied to the Sharjah electrical grid, the plant has generated enough energy to power over 2,000 homes per year while offsetting 150,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

 

Around 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UAE come from household and industrial waste decomposing in landfills. 

 

Since its inauguration, the plant has processed over 100,000 tonnes of waste, equivalent to the waste produced by 180,000 people per year, and recovered over 250 tonnes of metal during its operations. 

 

As a result, Sharjah has achieved a new record in its zero-waste to-landfill journey, achieving a waste diversion rate of 90%.

 

On the key development, Beeah Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel said: "The Sharjah WtE plant is an example of successful collaboration towards the UAE’s sustainability agenda. In partnership with Masdar, we have pioneered a waste-to-energy innovation that adds to the national clean energy mix, while also accelerating toward our zero-waste-to-landfill targets in Sharjah."

 

"We have also achieved 90% landfill waste diversion, a new record for the Middle East, which highlights the positive impact energy innovations can have on sustainable waste management," explained Al Huraimel. 

 

"The Sharjah plant demonstrates how clean energy can not only help meet energy demand but also recover valuable material and tackle the mounting challenge of waste in growing cities across the Middle East," he stated.

 

Al Huraimel pointed out that the plant was ramping up operations to produce 30 MW of power annually while processing 300,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise go to landfill. 

 

Over a 12-month period, the plant is capable of offsetting 450,000 tonnes of CO2, it added.

 

Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: "Achieving the landmark of 100,000 tonnes of waste processed within the first year of operation is a fantastic milestone on our journey towards pioneering worldwide efforts towards decarbonisation."

 

"Utilising the latest innovative technologies, the plant has played a leading role in Sharjah’s 90% landfill waste diversion success and in supporting the UAE’s goal of diverting 75%of solid waste from landfills. We look forward to boosting R&D investment in waste-to-energy projects and working with Beeah to further accelerate the reduction of global carbon emissions and divert waste from landfills," he added.

 

Located in the Al Sajaa area of Sharjah, the Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is adjacent to Beeah’s integrated waste management complex, where recycling facilities are also enabling higher rates of landfill waste diversion.-TradeArabia News Service