Sharjah: Bee’ah, the Middle East’s leading sustainability pioneer, announced that it will 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 in the region solar energy landfill project set to generate more than 42 megawatts 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 facilities include the Material Recovery Facility, Tyre Recycling Facility, Construction & Demolition Recycling Facility, Car & Metal Shredding Facility, Industrial Waste Water Plant, Biomass Facility and Alternative Raw Materials Facility.

Bee’ah has helped Sharjah achieve a 76 percent waste diversion from landfill rate, and is fast approaching the 100 percent 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 has an annual capacity of processing 300,000 tonnes of nonrecyclable waste to generate 30 megawatts 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.

Since 2007, Bee’ah has transformed dumpsites into fully engineered landfill cells, with advanced aerial drones to monitor the landfills, leachate pumps and gas monitoring and extraction wells for air quality control. Drought tolerant greenery beautifies the landfill, while addressing the problems of soil stability, groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emissions, while irrigation for the landscaping uses only recycled gray water. 

On the new project, HE Salim Al Owais, Chairman of Bee'ah, said: “The UAE has made great strides in the development of renewable energy projects, and Bee’ah is keen to continuing furthering its progress. 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 of the project, the landfill area will be converted into 270,565 square metres of solar area with a projected output of 24 megawatts. The second phase will convert an additional 200,099 square metres of solar area to produce a 16-megawatt solar power.

In addition, Bee’ah will develop an innovation and learning centre, within proximity of 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, HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah, 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. Our new solar plant project will help fuel the energy requirements for the Emirate, while showcasing how innovation can be utilized to continuously improve the quality of life for communities.”

Closed landfills are areas that are no longer in active use for solid waste disposal but still contain deposited waste. Finding productive uses for closed landfills are typically challenging as they typically require extensive environmental remediation and monitoring over periods for as long as 30 years before redevelopment is a viable option. Turning closed landfills into solar farms can benefit the environment through sustainable energy generation with only limited requirements for access and remediation work, which makes this approach both economically and environmentally beneficial.

-Ends-

About Bee’ah 

An innovation leader and a pioneering force for sustainable solutions in the Middle East, Bee’ah is a public-private partnership company that was founded in 2007. With ventures in industries ranging from Waste Management, to Environmental Consulting, Renewable Energy, Technology, Sustainable Transportation, and Training & Development, Bee’ah is creating a better quality of life for all cities and communities in the region. Bee’ah has executed a comprehensive strategy focused on sustainability and digitalisation, which has reaped rich benefits in the form of the region’s highest waste diversion rates, and the GCC’s first waste-to-energy plant. Bee’ah has supported the region’s agenda for a circular economy and personifies the UAE’s ambitions in leading the dialogue surrounding sustainability in the MENA region. For more information, please visit: http://www.beeah.ae and connect at facebook.com/beeahuae and twitter.com/BeeahUAE 

Send us your press releases to pressrelease.zawya@refinitiv.com

© Press Release 2020

Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.

The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.