The nationally assigned team tasked to examine and implement the country’s waste-to-energy initiative held its first meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment and Water in Dubai. The meeting was presided by Engineer Yousef Al Rayssi, Director of Waste Management and Chairman of the task force and attended by project consultants and representatives from Fujairah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai. During the event, participants discussed the initial steps to be taken in the implementation of the waste-to-energy project.
Eng. Al Rayssi commended the team’s efforts and affirmed its commitment towards implementing a sustainable and highly efficient waste management system, which is being fully supported by the country’s wise leadership. The waste-to-energy initiative, which is a lead project of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, falls in line with a directive issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to address the waste problem of the Northern Emirates. The project aims to help in the efforts towards achieving environmental sustainability, which falls in line with UAE Vision 2021.
The assigned national team is tasked with organizing and choosing the best suggestions that exemplify well developed and environment-friendly techniques that can be utilized as an innovative and sustainable solution to recycle waste as compared to traditional methods that was used before. The project aims to achieve a 75 per cent decrease in waste treatment, which falls in line with the goals of UAE Vision 2021.
Eng. Al Rayssi explained that the project is one of the leading and highly sustainable solutions that will be used in the move towards the country’s future development and leadership—thereby consolidating the UAE’s position as one of the world’s most outstanding countries in 2021. He further shared that the country remains fully committed in developing and implementing innovative and sustainable solutions that aim to address the environmental challenges faced by the UAE.
The meeting focused on discussing the first phase of the initiative. Phase one of the waste-to-energy project will comprise of study and research on recommended criteria and standards of suitable technologies that can be utilized for the initiative. The move looks towards adopting one of the seven waste-to-energy methods that were developed according to quality, quantity and detailed specifications. After conducting sufficient research, the phase will move on to choosing suitable sites to build the production plants, especially given the different and diverse spaces between the four emirates. The last section, which is expected to be completed by end of May 2015, will be agreeing on the financial policy to finance and implement the project. Recommendations will then be submitted through a detailed final report to the higher supervisory committee for approval.
The waste-to-energy project will initially cover the waste treatment of the municipal solid wastes (MSW). Expected to be launched in the next two years, the project is expected to become one of the most prominent environmental projects in the region.