AD Power to build two waste-to-energy plants in the UAE
Located in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, the facilities will have the potential to convert 1.5 million tonnes of municipal waste into energy per year
Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (AD Power) has signed an agreement with Tadweer to develop two waste-to-energy plants in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, along with its subsidiary Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).
Jasim Husain Thabet, CEO and managing director of AD Power signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Othman Al Ali, CEO of EWEC and Dr Salem Al Kaabi, general manager of Tadweer.
The waste-to-energy plants will have the potential to transform up to 1.5 million tonnes of municipal waste into energy annually and collectively reduce CO2 emissions by about 2.5 million tons or equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from roads.
According to a statement from the company, the Abu Dhabi-based plant will be located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) in the Mussafah region and will have an expected processing capacity of up to 900,000 tonnes of waste per year. It will also be able to generate up to 90 MW of electricity and lower emissions by 1.5 million tonnes annually.
Meanwhile the Al Ain-based waste-to-energy plant will have a processing capacity of up to 600,000 tonnes of waste per year and generate up to 60 MW of electricity. The plant is also expected to aid in reducing 1 million CO2 emissions per year.
Commenting on the deal, Thabet noted: “This MoU represents a significant milestone for Abu Dhabi as we deliver on the objectives set out in UAE Vision 2021, which aims to divert 75 per cent of waste away from landfills.”
Meanwhile, Al Ali added: “We are delighted to partner with Tadweer to significantly enhance Abu Dhabi’s waste-to-energy infrastructure, in line with both our sustainability-focused mission at EWEC as well as the nation’s wider commitments. The project will also serve as a benchmark throughout the region for the development of sustainable waste-to-energy facilities and waste management systems.”
Inline with Abu Dhabi power projects, the two waste-to-energy plants will be developed through an Independent Power Producer model. The companies will enter into a long term Power Purchase Agreement, with EWEC as the off-taker while Tadweer will provide the feedstock waste under a long-term waste supply agreement.
Al Kaabi said: “This agreement is aligned with Tadweer’s continued efforts to divert waste from landfills and encourage environmentally friendly and commercially viable solutions to address the challenges posed by the treatment of large volume of waste.”
AD Power stated that private sector participants will be invited to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the facilities. Additionally, ash from the waste conversion process will be recycled into reusable material, it said.
