Dubai, UAE— In line with its program to make a transition to a green economy by building a world-class clean energy infrastructure, Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the first phase of the waste-to-energy center in Warsan.
Built at a cost of $1.08 billion, the world’s largest and most efficient plant features advanced technologies that would not have any adverse environmental impact.
Sheikh Hamdan said that Dubai continues to accelerate its transition to a green economy by building a world-class clean energy infrastructure and transform Dubai into one of the world’s most sustainable cities. The emirate has steadily expanded its capacity to produce energy from renewable sources.
“The start of the operations of the waste-to-energy center in Warsan takes Dubai another step closer to achieving its strategy to create the world’s best sustainable ecosystem. We are committed to building a better future for future generations by ensuring our ambitious economic development programs maintain the highest standards of sustainability and environmental preservation,” said Sheikh Hamdan
“The new waste-to-energy center has a comprehensive, eco-friendly waste management system that integrates global sustainability benchmarks,” he added.
Once its two phases are completed, the project will generate 220 MWh of power. Out of this, 35 MWh will be used to run the Warsan Wastewater Treatment Plant, and 20 MWh will be directed to power the waste-to-energy center. The project will also use 2,760 cubic meters of recycled water from the Warsan Wastewater Treatment Plant, enhancing the sustainability of the project and raising the efficiency of resource utilization.
Sheikh Hamdan watched the center’s first waste-to-energy conversion operations, which leave no environmental footprint.
Two of the plant’s five lines have been operationalized, which currently process about 2,300 tonnes of solid waste daily. The sophisticated process employs steam pressure to create rotational energy that powers the generator to produce electricity.
At present, the facility generates about 80 MWh of renewable energy. With the opening of its second phase, the facility’s output is set to expand to 220 MWh, which translates to 5,280 MWh daily.
He was received at the center in Warsan by Mattar Al Tayer, Commissioner-General of the Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Wellbeing Pillar, and Dawood Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality.
He was briefed about the center, the largest facility of its kind in the world in terms of operational capacity. His Highness also toured the facility that has the capacity to treat around 2 million tonnes of solid waste annually to generate power that can meet the needs of more than 135,000 housing units. Built on an area of 400,000 square meters, the center has five production lines that have the capacity to treat 5,666 tonnes of waste per day.
The center will make significant contributions to Dubai’s efforts to enhance environmental sustainability and mitigate climate change by reducing 2,400 tonnes of carbon emissions annually by diverting waste from landfills.
It will also help raise the share of clean energy sources in Dubai’s energy mix. The facility converts daily waste equivalent to that generated by 3 million people into energy and uses recycled water to produce the steam required to power the center’s electricity-generating turbine.
By creating a solid base for a smart, sustainable, and environmentally friendly waste collection, management and treatment system, the waste-to-energy center in Warsan supports the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to derive 75% of Dubai’s energy needs from clean sources by 2050 and transform the city into a global clean energy and green economy hub by 2050.
The new facility also contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference COP 28 and the UAE’s Year of Sustainability by minimizing the volume of solid waste directed to landfills, cultivating alternative sources of clean energy, and upgrading the waste management system in Dubai.
The center also seeks to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Master Waste Management Plan 2021-2041 aimed at applying global best practices in integrated waste management, providing a safe work environment to encourage promising investments, creating new competitive opportunities in waste management in Dubai, and undertaking long-term projects that offer practical solutions to environmental challenges in line with Dubai’s sustainable economic development agenda.
The center also supports the Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031, a comprehensive roadmap for realizing the leadership’s vision to transform Dubai into a global model for circular economy practices through the sustainable management and effective use of natural resources and the adoption of eco-friendly consumption and production techniques and technologies. Further, the new center seeks to enhance the efficiency of natural resource consumption, reduce waste and environmental stress and raise environmental well-being.
The waste-to-center in Warsan was built in partnership with a consortium of five local and international private sector companies, which include Dubai Holding, Dubal Holding, Itoshu, Hitachi Zosen Innova, and Besix Group.
Mattar Al Tayer said: “Broadening the scope of sustainable solutions for the treatment of waste and converting it into energy has become a strategic priority. It contributes to accomplishing Dubai’s development objectives in line with the highest sustainability standards.”
“The world’s largest and most efficient waste-to-energy conversion facility, the waste-to-energy center in Warsan will further enhance Dubai’s status as the globe’s best place to live and work. The facility will help propel economic growth in the emirate while maintaining global health and environmental standards,” added Al Tayer.
The center employs the latest Japanese and Swiss technologies in waste management and waste-to-energy processes. All emissions are thoroughly treated using a textile filter made up of 12,480 cylindrical filter bags. The center also implements comprehensive measures to eliminate any odors resulting from waste management.
The center has the capacity to accommodate around 133 waste trucks per hour, which can deliver their loads through 27 gates in less than 15 minutes.
Earlier this year, Dubai Municipality signed an agreement with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) under whose terms the latter will buy energy from the waste-to-energy center for 35 years for distribution to end users.