ADFD approves US$33 million loan for waste-to-energy project in Sharjah

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has approved a US$33 million concessionary loan for the development of a waste-to-energy facility in the emirate of Sharjah.

The facility is the flagship project of Emirates Waste to Energy Company, a joint venture between Masdar, a regional leader in renewable energy, and Bee’ah, the UAE’s leading environmental management company. In January 2018, ADFD confirmed its commitment to financing the project, the second of its kind in the MENA region.

Expected to treat more than 300,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) each year, or 37.5 tonnes per hour, the plant will have the capacity to generate around 30 MW of energy. Due for completion by early 2021, the facility aims to help attain Sharjah’s zero-waste-to-landfill target and the UAE’s objective of diverting 75% of its municipal solid waste from the landfill by 2021.

Furthermore, the project is estimated to displace almost 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year and save an equivalent of 45 million cubic metres of natural gas per year.