Bee'ah, a UAE-based leader in integrated environment and waste management, said it has collaborated with UK-based Chinook Sciences to set up the region’s first waste-to-hydrogen project in the UAE, which will also boast a green hydrogen generation plant and a hydrogen vehicle fuelling station.

 

The waste-to-hydrogen project is an evolution of Bee’ah and Chinook Sciences’ $180 million waste gasification to energy project and addresses the increased market demand in the region for new sources of renewable energy such as green hydrogen.

 

Chinook Sciences Chairman and CEO Dr. Rifat Chalabi, who is on a visit to the UAE, signed the agreement in the presence of Salim Al Owais, Chairman of Bee'ah, and a delegation of senior officials from both entities. 

 

The project is envisioned to be the first of many such facilities, established through the long-standing collaboration between the two sides.

 

With an innovative approach of having the waste-to-hydrogen plant adjacent to the fuelling station, this project will overcome the challenges of costly transportation of hydrogen, said the statement from Beeah. 

 

The fuelling station will use green hydrogen generated from the waste-to-hydrogen plant from non-recyclable plastic waste and waste wood. The green hydrogen will be fed into the fuelling station to power hydrogen vehicles, it added.

 

On the deal, Al Owais said: "Green hydrogen will be a vital pillar of our future energy landscape and Bee’ah has been looking into this market for some time now and Chinook in alignment with our long-term strategy to develop new, sustainable energy solutions."

 

"As a sustainability leader, Bee’ah is keen to further support the UAE in its hydrogen economy ambitions, energy diversification and decarbonisation efforts," he stated.

 

Dr Chalabi said: "We are very excited to use Chinook Sciences’ patented Rodecs gasification and pyrolysis technology in the UAE, which breaks down hydrocarbons from waste through advanced thermal treatment to release and recover green hydrogen."

 

"When the green hydrogen is used in vehicles, it emits only water and no carbon emissions," he noted.

 

Dr Chalabi said through the use of Chinook’s Rodecs technology, the cost of green hydrogen from the plant shall be very competitive and has the potential to be equal to or even less than the cost of diesel and gasoline."

 

"At maximum production capacity, the plant shall be capable of fuelling 1,000 hydrogen-powered large vehicles per day," he added. 

 

Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee'ah, which is operational in the UAE, KSA and Egypt, said: "As a waste management leader in the Middle East, we are proud to pursue the first waste-to-hydrogen solution in the region. This project will showcase the potential of waste-to-hydrogen."

 

The UAE has previously announced its aim to become a major hydrogen producer, and to reduce carbon emissions by 24 per cent by 2030. 

 

Plans include investment in green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy, like solar power as well as using carbon-capture technologies to create what is known as blue hydrogen.

 

"Bee’ah has always recognised the value of energy recovery from waste and through this new project, we aim to support a circular economy across multiple fronts throughout the region," he added.