The Emirates Waste to Energy Company (EWEC) has unveiled plans to transform Bee’ah’s Al Sa’jah landfill into a solar farm. The project is the first of its kind in the UAE and has the potential to generate up to 120 megawatts (MW).
EWEC will be responsible for the financing, design, procurement and construction of the project. Under the terms of the lease agreement, operation and maintenance services will also be provided by the company for a 25-year period.
According to a WAM report, the agreement was jointly announced by Khaled Al Huraimel, group chief executive officer of Bee’ah and chairman of the Emirates Waste to Energy Company, and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar.
The Al Sa’jah landfill in located close to the Sharjah Waste to Energy facility and Bee’ah’s Waste Management Complex. The solar landfill project will be delivered across three phases, with the first phase due for completion in 2023, the report said.
“Masdar is proud to be extending our existing partnership with Bee’ah through the Emirates Waste to Energy Company to develop this landmark project in Sharjah. Waste is a growing issue in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. However, this project highlights how we can utilize closed landfills to deliver clean energy, while simultaneously supporting the UAE’s clean energy targets and UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are confident that this project can become a benchmark for other landfill sites in the region,” said Al Ramahi.
He added, “As a pioneer of zero waste solutions, Bee’ah is looking to create new value from capped landfills while supporting the deployment of renewable energy in the UAE and I am confident that we can replicate this same model of success for other cities in the Middle East.”
Redeveloping the landfill into a solar farm will add to Sharjah’s renewable energy generation, and it is also economically and environmentally beneficial, the report said.
“Through Emirates Waste to Energy Company, we are proud to be partnering with Masdar to support the UAE’s pioneering sustainability vision,” explained Al Huraimel.
