| Work Detail |
As long as theres waste going to landfill, there an opportunity to build these plants: plant manager.
Sharjah’s Waste to Energy plant, a joint venture between BEEAH, Masdar and Veolia, represents a significant milestone in the UAE’s journey towards sustainable waste management. As the region’s first of its kind, the facility, located in the Al Saj’ah area, serves as a key element in Sharjah’s ambitious goal to become the first city in the Middle East to achieve ‘zero waste to landfill’.
The plant, which is designed to process over 300,000 tons of non-recyclable waste annually, plays a crucial role in converting this waste into clean, renewable energy. By diverting 100% of Sharjah’s municipal solid waste from landfills, the facility contributes to both environmental preservation and energy generation.
Aidan Kennedy, Plant Director at Sharjah Waste to Energy, Phillippe Bourdeaux, Executive Senior Vice President – Africa, Near and Middle East at Veolia, and Hamza Al Jefri, CEO of Emirates Waste to Energy, provided insights on a site tour and event to commemorate a landmark 500,000 tons of waste converted to power into how the plant works, the challenges faced during its development and the significance of its location.
Tackling waste and emissions with tech
The plant’s operations are underpinned by cutting-edge waste-to-energy technology, which transforms non-recyclable waste into electricity through a highly efficient combustion process.
According to Kennedy, “We process about 1,000 tons of waste daily, generating 30 megawatts of electricity.” This energy is enough to power 28,000 homes for a year, providing a reliable source of renewable energy while reducing the environmental impact of landfills.
A key feature of the facility is its high-pressure steam system, which operates at 140 bar — significantly higher than traditional waste-to-energy plants. “This high-pressure steam system allows us to extract maximum energy from the waste,” explains Kennedy.
“In other plants, it might be as low as 40 bar. Our plant is designed to get as much energy out of the waste as possible.” The energy produced from this process is then used to power the plant, with surplus energy fed back into the grid.
The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant is also equipped with advanced emission control technologies to ensure that its environmental footprint remains minimal. “We meet European emissions standards,” Kennedy notes.
The facility employs scrubbers and filters that remove harmful particulates and gases to ensure that only clean air is released into the atmosphere. This makes it a model for future waste-to-energy projects in the UAE and beyond.
How does it work?
Currently, the plant is operating at full capacity with a boiler efficiency reported at 97% and terminal efficiency close to 30%, resulting in 109 terminal megawatts of thermal energy that is converted into 33MW of power in total.
Of this, 3MW is used to power the plant, while 30MW is exported, enough to power 28,000 homes and offset up to 450,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
How does the plant convert waste into power?
Generally, once municipal waste is collected from garbage bins across Sharjah, it goes to a recovery and transfer facility. Here, it is sorted: whatever can be recycled is extracted and the rest is designated as residue.
This residue – which used to go to landfill – is now loaded up and sent to the waste-to-energy plant, where about 40 to 50 tons of waste – about four days’ worth – is stored in a large pit and stirred with cranes.
From here, the waste is fed onto a grate then blasted with hot air to dry it out and oxygenate it before being burnt. The hot air released from the combustion heats water that turns into steam and turns a high-pressured steam turbine, located at the back of the plant, to create electricity.
At this point, the waste burns almost completely, leaving behind an even smaller residue, which one engineer at the plant described as akin to the proportion of ash left behind from burning a sheet of paper. This ash-like residue is being studied for use in applications like construction to further close the loop, he added.
The plant includes a CNIM boiler with a unique four-pass system and a Martin grate with a 5-run design which ensures optimal combustion control. The LAB flue gas treatment system further minimises emissions, supporting the facility’s role to reduce environmental impact.
“Energy generated from waste stands as a guard against landfills. Even with extensive recycling efforts, there will always be residual [waste]. Whatever goes to landfill can be turned to waste energy,” Kennedy explains.
Location, location, location
Emirates Waste to Energy, the asset company formed as a 50:50 joint venture between Masdar and BEEAH in 2017, is operated by a joint venture company established in 2022, with Veolia holding a 51% stake and Masdar and BEEAH each holding 24.5%.
The location of the Sharjah plant within BEEAH’s waste management complex was chosen to maximise efficiency. Al Jefri pointed out that the plant’s proximity to the sorting facility and landfill greatly reduces logistical challenges.
The plant is just 500 metres from the sorting plant and even closer to the landfill, which minimises transportation needs and operational costs.]
This close-knit integration streamlines the flow of waste materials, allowing for a speedy and bureaucratic red tape-free transition from the recovery of recyclables to the disposal of non-recyclable waste in the waste-to-energy facility.
“In my previous experience in Ireland, we had to transport residual waste to Germany, and it was a logistical nightmare. Here, everything is right next door, which makes the entire operation much more efficient,” says Kennedy.
Creating what is essentially an-inhouse operation also allows for granular control over the quantity and quality of non-recyclable waste BEEAH supplies to the plant as well.
‘Doable’
The plant is a part of Sharjah and the UAE’s vision for localised, low-carbon intensive energy and commitment to fulfilling international climate agreements.
Elsewhere in the UAE, two additional waste-to-energy plants are in the planning stages – one in Abu Dhabi and another in Dubai, with a different consortium – though not yet commissioned.
These plants, like Sharjah’s, will help transform waste into clean energy while reducing the strain on landfills and diverting a significant amount of non-recyclable waste.
With the Sharjah plant already running at full capacity less than two years into operation, and an increasing amount of generated waste concurrent with population growth, the case can be made for another one in the emirate too.
“As long as there’s waste going to landfill, there’s an opportunity to build these plants,” Kennedy remarks.
“A second plant in Sharjah is doable and this is something we’re trying to work on, because the quantity of waste is expanding,” explains Phillippe Bourdeaux, Executive Senior Vice President – Africa, Near and Middle East at Veolia. While it’s simply a matter of replicating and adapting the same plant model, it could be some years away due to hefty upfront investment as well as requiring fine-tuned commercials.
For now, there’s a waste-to-hydrogen plant to look forward to. |
