Waste-to-energy facility to power 50,000 homes
The world's most advanced waste-to-energy facility, and one of the region's largest, will be set up in Abu Dhabi's Al Bihouth area, a spokesperson from Tadweer Group, told Khaleej Times.
Tadweer Group, the sole custodian of waste management in Abu Dhabi, and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), along with a Japan-based consortium will develop the greenfield project in the outskirts of Abu Dhabi.
The plant is expected to process 900,000 tonnes of waste into energy, annually producing enough electricity to power 50,000 homes in the emirate. The mega project will result in a reduction of carbon emissions of about 1.1 million tonnes per year.
“The facility will be one of the most advanced in terms of lowest emissions, efficiency and use of latest technology,” Ollie Lawson, media and communications adviser at Tadweer Group, said during the 10th edition of the Ecowaste Exhibition and Conference held as part of the World Future Energy Summit. “The plant will turn municipal solid waste into energy enough to power 50,000 homes.”
Consortium members
The Japanese consortium comprises Marubeni Corporation, Hitachi Zosen Inova AG, and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development. The project is aligned with Tadweer's strategy to reduce reliance on landfills, lower carbon emissions, and support the UAE'S energy agenda.
“The construction of the plant will start this year. It is expected to be operational by 2027.”
Promoting environmental sustainability, the group has been implementing innovative solutions like green and black colour bins, Recyclable Materials Collection Centres, reverse vending machines (RVMS) and a mobile app to reward community members who are recycling.
During the summit, Tadweer announced the purchase and launch of 25 ‘Made in Abu Dhabi' RVMS from Nadeera — a socially conscious local organisation with a focus on environmental solutions. The RVMS will be placed at strategic locations across Abu Dhabi from next month. It will collect plastic bottles and aluminium cans. By the end of the year, Tadweer is planning to roll out about 50 RVMS.
“Our target for this year is 50. We plan to expand to Al Ain and Al Dhafra. Our long-term ambition is to have possibly thousands of RVMS,” Lawson noted.
A mobile app named Tadweer Rewards has been developed to incentivise recycling habits in the community. People will win credits on depositing a can or a bottle into the RVM, which can be exchanged for vouchers or avail discounts on Noon, Amazon, Talabat, Max, and more. Tadweer aims to launch 50 Recyclable Materials Collection Centres (RMCC) in Abu Dhabi, taking the overall number to 75.
“Now, we have 25 RMCCS rolled out across Abu Dhabi, and there will be a further 50 of those this year. The existing RMCCS have generated a lot of recycled materials. In communities, we have seen people who are interested in recycling come to our collection centre. So, we're looking to expand that opportunity with new centres. It will offer people an easy way to recycle.”
The RMCCS collect 16 different streams of waste, including cans, bottles, textiles, expired medicines, small and large e-waste, cardboard, paper, used batteries, rubber, and wood, among others.
Tadweer has achieved considerable success in improving waste segregation and promoting recycling practices with its green recycling containers launched last year. It was in addition to the black waste containers used for all types of non-reusable waste.
“The launch of green bins has been successful. A lot of the areas now have a two-bin system of green and black,” Lawson noted.
Tadweer's workforce has been instrumental in cleaning up the streets during the unprecedented rainfall this week.
“It has been a lot of hard work, coordination, and commitment from our workforce. As soon as it was safe to go out, we sorted things on the streets. There was a lot of damage, but the team has been committed to getting things back to where we were before,” Lawson underlined.