Schneider Electric has been awarded the contract to supply a range of electrical solutions at the Sharjah Waste to Energy facility, the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates.
The company will supply and install the facility’s medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear and EcoStruxure Power SCADA Operation (PSO) software, which will provide real-time situational awareness of the plant’s electricity network and ensure the power systems are optimized and performing safely. The software will also protect the system through built-in cybersecurity features.
The waste-to-energy (WTE) plant is owned by Emirates Waste to Energy Company, a joint venture between Bee’ah, the UAE’s leading sustainable environmental services company, and Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. French industrial company CNIM, a European leader and reference for the design and build of WTE plants, is contracted to build and operate the facility, located within Bee’ah’s Waste Management Center in Sharjah, UAE.
HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah, said: “Through a holistic and integrated approach to waste management, Bee’ah has managed to achieve a 76 percent waste diversion from landfill rate here in Sharjah. With the first waste-to-energy facility in the UAE, we will close the gap to achieve zero waste to landfills for the Emirate, while diversifying the alternative energy mix. We are proud to be working with leading partners such as Schneider Electric, to ensure that our waste-to-energy facility will be held to the highest international standards of safety and operational excellence.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: “Masdar firmly believes in industry collaboration as the most effective way of advancing the deployment of commercially viable technologies, while supporting the UAE’s goals for sustainable economic development. We are proud to be working with our partners at Bee’ah, CNIM and Schneider Electric to deliver yet another landmark project for the UAE.”
The Sharjah Waste to Energy facility will process 37.5 tons of non-recyclable solid municipal waste per hour, diverting over 300,000 tons from landfill each year in support of the UAE’s waste management goals. The facility will generate up to 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which will be supplied directly to the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority’s (SEWA) grid and will power around 28,000 homes.
The plant will be compliant with global standards of environmental safety and sustainability. It will also displace almost 450,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year and save the UAE 45 million cubic meters of natural gas per year.
“The Sharjah waste-to-energy project is ground-breaking, and we’re delighted to be able to play our part in its development,” said Ahmed Khashan, Cluster President, Gulf Countries, Schneider Electric. “Our EcoStruxture technology will ensure the plant is working to its full potential, with a host of safety and cybersecurity features that will keep the plant’s staff and the electricity grid safe. Most importantly, the plant will be future-ready, with the option to add in sensors that’ll ensure the plant remains at the cutting-edge of the region’s energy generation sector for decades to come.”
The waste-to-energy process converts waste into heat, which is then recovered through a boiler to produce steam that drives a turbine generator to produce electricity. Bottom ash is discharged and deposited into storage, and converted into usable recycled materials, and the flue gas is treated through stringent air pollution controls. The remaining steam is pushed through an air-cooled condenser to transform it into water that is reused within the plant.
