Gulf Construction Online - Region’s first landfill solar project launched

UAE Focus

The landfill solar project will generate more than 42 MW of energy per year.

Region’s first landfill solar project launched

01 September 2020

Bee’ah, a leading sustainability pioneer in the Middle East region, has announced plans to convert 47 hectares of Al Saja’a landfill area into a state-of-the-art solar energy facility in Sharjah once the landfill is capped.

This is the first-of-its-kind landfill solar energy project in the region set to generate more than 42 megawatts (MW) of energy per year.

Driving environmental sustainability and a circular economy, Bee’ah has taken an integrated approach to waste management through a zero-waste strategy. After waste is collected and transferred to Bee’ah’s Waste Management Complex, advanced recycling facilities recover valuable resources and recyclables.

These include facilities for material recovery, tyre recycling, construction and demolition recycling, car and metal shredding, industrial waste water plant, biomass and alternative raw materials.

Bee’ah has helped Sharjah achieve a 76 per cent waste diversion from landfill rate, and is fast approaching the 100 per cent diversion of waste with the launch of the Sharjah waste-to-energy facility in 2021 by the Bee’ah-Masdar joint venture, Emirates Waste to Energy Company.

The Sharjah waste-to-energy facility will have an annual processing capacity of 300,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste to generate 30 MW of electricity. On reaching the zero-waste target, Bee’ah will then be able to repurpose the Al Saja’a landfill into a solar energy farm.

On the new project, Chairman Salim Al Owais said: “This new landfill solar project is a remarkable landmark achievement for Bee’ah, as we continue to push boundaries of both waste management and clean energy as part of our overarching mission for sustainability.”

In the first phase, the landfill area will be converted into 270,565 sq m of solar area with a projected output of 24 MW. The second phase will convert an additional 200,099 sq m of solar area to produce a 16-MW solar power.

In addition, Bee’ah will be developing an innovation and learning centre near the new solar farm, to educate visitors on the importance of protecting the environment and renewable energy projects, as part of the UAE’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

On the strategy to turn landfills into a source of renewable energy, Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel said: “Bee’ah aims to make environmental sustainability a reality, and this investment to rejuvenate the Al Saja’a landfill for long-term solar infrastructure will help Sharjah attain its renewable energy targets, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”