Energy

Dubai to build world's largest waste-to-energy plant

View 2 Images
A rendering of the world's largest waste-to-energy plant, which is proposed to be built in Dubai by 2020
Dubai Media Office
The directors of partner companies Hitachi Zosen Inova, Dubai Municipality and Besix Group, signing the agreement to build the world's largest waste-to-energy plant
Dubai Media Office
A rendering of the world's largest waste-to-energy plant, which is proposed to be built in Dubai by 2020
Dubai Media Office

What do you do when you have too much garbage but not enough energy? Convert one into the other. That's the thinking behind the waste-to-energy plants that are beginning to pop up around the globe, and now the Government of Dubai has announced plans to build the world's largest.

When it's up and running, the waste-to-energy (WET) plant is expected to treat up to two million tons of solid waste every year, which is about 60 percent of Dubai's annual garbage production. That will give the plant a capacity of 185 MW, which is roughly two percent of Dubai's annual energy consumption and will enable it to provide power to 120,000 homes.

The Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant in China is currently on track to be the world's largest, but if the Dubai project can meet its goals, it should be able to swipe the title before Shenzhen is even finished. Both are due to be completed in 2020, and while they can both process over 5,500 tons of waste per day, Dubai's output is 20 MW higher than Shenzhen's. Still, it's not really a competition, and it's important that more of these sustainable systems are built.

The directors of partner companies Hitachi Zosen Inova, Dubai Municipality and Besix Group, signing the agreement to build the world's largest waste-to-energy plant
Dubai Media Office

The Dubai plant will be built on a 2-hectare (5-acre) plot of land in the Warsan area, and electricity will be fed into the local grid by way of HV 132 kV cables. The Dubai Municipality is partnering with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Swiss company Hitachi Zosen Inova and Belgian construction company Besix Group on the project.

It will cost around AED2.5 billion (US$680 million), with construction set to kick off in the next few months. If all goes to plan, the plant should be up and running before Dubai hosts Expo 2020.

The Dubai government explains the plant in the video below.

Source: Government of Dubai Media Office via Gulf News

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
5 comments
MartinVoelker
Municipal waste incineration remains a waste of resources. Instead of promoting waste reduction it turns a massive waste stream into a requirement for keeping incineration facilities in business. Cities in Germany have fallen into that trap, having signed decades long contracts that require them to deliver and pay for waste streams. Their incentive is now to produce waste, not avoid it.
Gizmowiz
Can we chop up and send them DC in it's entirety?
Skyler Thomas
I'm not up on waste incineration processes, but don't these sorts of plants put a lot of toxic byproducts into the air?
Gregg Eshelman
All the technology to take raw, untreated sewage and domestic and industrial solid waste, and separate out all recyclable components, has existed in pieces here and there for the past 30+ years.
Nobody has yet put all of it into one plant that could take waste in and put out electricity, clean water and tons of metals, glass, and plastics. Depending on the market demand, the plastics could be burned.
CarsonL
The issue of waste management is a growing problem in the developed world, especially areas that have gained affluence quickly, such as Dubai. It is always encouraging to hear of governments investing in infrastructure projects that prevents the creation of landfills and supports sustainable energy. However, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Besides the massive financial cost of the facility, burning garbage produces its own toxic byproducts, including dioxins and furans, and releases carbon and inorganic pollutants through smoke. More importantly, it actually encourages the production of garbage to keep the incinerators in business, rather than creating a system in which there is less waste. In addition, it lets the big waste producing industries off the hook. The burden is shifted to the taxpayers, and the corporations face no cost for contributing to an unsustainable system. Therefore, incinerators are not a real solution to the growing problem of waste, but just a temporary band-aid that makes people feel better about wasting resources.