Dubai opens $1bn waste-to-energy centre

Dubai Media Office

• Warsan facility processing about 2,300 tonnes of solid waste daily
• Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to meet 75% of needs
• Process uses steam pressure to power electricity generator

The first phase of the AED4 billion ($1.09 billion) Dubai Waste to Energy Centre has become operational.

Two of the plant’s five lines have been launched and are currently processing about 2,300 tonnes of solid waste daily, the UAE state-run WAM news agency reported.

At present, the facility in the Warsan area generates about 80 megawatt hours (mwh) of renewable energy. With the opening of its second phase, the facility’s output is set to expand to 220mwh.

The centre can treat around two million tonnes of solid waste annually to generate power for over 135,000 housing units.

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The process employs steam pressure to create rotational energy that powers the generator to produce electricity.

Built on an area of 400,000 sq m, the centre has five production lines, which have the capacity to treat 5,666 tonnes of waste per day, helping to reduce 2,400 tonnes of carbon emissions annually by diverting waste from landfills.

It also supports the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to cover 75 percent of the emirate’s energy needs from clean sources by 2050.