Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, (ADPower) along with subsidiary, Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre (Tadweer) to develop two waste-to-energy (WtE) plants in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

Both plants, once completed, will be able to transform up to 1.5 million tonnes of municipal waste into energy every year, collectively reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 2.5 million tonnes annually, according to a statement in WAM. This is equal to the removal of more than 500,000 cars from the road.

Among The Largest WtE facilities in the Middle East
The Abu Dhabi plant will be located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi in the Mussafah region. Expected to be among the largest WtE facilities in the region, the plant’s processing capacity has been estimated to be up to 900,000 tonnes of waste per year. This will allow it to generate up to 90MW of electricity, which can power up to 22, 500 UAE households.

The Al Ain plant is expected to have a capacity of processing up to 600,000 tonnes of waste per year and will generate up to 60MW of electricity that can power an average 15,000 UAE houses.

Independent Power Producers Model
According to the WAM report, both WtE plants would be developed through the Independent Power Producers model applied in respect of Abu Dhabi power projects since 1998. The report adds that private sector participants will also be invited to submit proposals to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the facilities, which will use advanced moving grate technology to convert municipal solid waste into electricity via a high-efficiency steam turbine generator set. Ash from the process will be processed and recycled into reusable material.