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.

The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant, the first project of its kind in the Middle East, has achieved several significant milestones since its inauguration a year ago.

This project is tied to the Sharjah electrical grid and has generated enough energy to power more than 2,000 homes per year, while offsetting 150,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

The UAE currently produces 60% of greenhouse gas emissions 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.

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

The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is a project of the Emirates Waste to Energy joint venture between BEEAH Group, the Middle East’s sustainability pioneer, and Masdar, one of the world’s leading clean energy companies.

The plant is 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.

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, said, “The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is an example of successful collaboration towards the UAE’s sustainability agenda. We have also achieved 90 percent landfill waste diversion, a new record for the Middle East, which highlights the positive impact energy innovations can have for sustainable waste management.”

“The Sharjah Waste to Energy 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.”

The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is located in the Al Sajaa area of Sharjah, adjacent to BEEAH’s integrated waste management complex, where recycling facilities are also enabling higher rates of landfill waste diversion.

The plant incinerates waste, producing a flue gas that is treated in line with European Union environmental standards.

Heat produced during the process is recovered and used in a steam boiler which, in turn, is used to run an electrical turbine and produce electricity.

In December last year, BEEAH and Masdar partnered with Veolia Near & Middle East to operate and maintain the waste to energy plant for 25 years following international best practices.

The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is the first project of the Emirates Waste to Energy joint venture between BEEAH and Masdar, pursuing the launch of more waste-to-energy plants in the UAE and the wider region to pioneer integrated solutions for zero-waste to landfill and net-zero emissions.

The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is an excellent example of how clean energy can help meet energy demand, recover valuable materials, and tackle the growing waste challenge in cities across the Middle East.

As a result of this project, Sharjah has achieved a new record in its zero-waste to landfill journey, contributing to the UAE’s sustainability agenda.