Explainer: Waste-to-energy plant opens in UAE
Masdar's new facility in the Emirati city of Sharjah will burn garbage to produce electricity. Some observers believe the process is relatively harmful to the environment due to its carbon emissions, but others say it is a good way to reduce landfill waste.
An Emirati company unveiled a power plant today that will convert garbage into electricity.
Masdar said the waste-to-energy facility in the city of Sharjah is the first of its kind in the Middle East. The project will contribute to the United Arab Emirates’ Net Zero 2050 carbon emissions initiative, according to a press release.
“The use of this technology reduces waste and landfill use, creates valuable low-carbon energy and introduces a new sustainable industry to our region,” said UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar chairman Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
Masdar is a renewable energy company operated by the UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. The power plant in Sharjah is the work of Emirates Waste to Energy, which is a joint venture between Masdar and Bee'ah — another sustainability-focused firm in the Emirates.
