On the outskirts of Sharjah, bordering Dubai, an environmental leap is being taken with the construction of Sharjah Sustainable City, a 1,250-villa development that will be powered by the sun.

The city is a joint venture between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, better known as Shurooq, and Diamond Developers, the company behind The Sustainable City in Dubai.

Each of the three, four and five-bedroom villas will be powered by its own rooftop solar panels, cutting energy and water bills by up to 50 per cent.

However, that is not the primary draw for the project, the first sustainable development in the emirate whose first phase is already sold out, said Karim El-Jisr, chief sustainability officer at Diamond Developers.

“The price is extremely competitive, ranging from Dh1.3 million to Dh2.8m,” Mr El-Jisr said.

“On top of that, you get five years of complimentary service fees, you get all the appliances fitted in the kitchen, having been selected based on energy requirements, and you get home automation and reduced utility bills.”

Every villa monitors its energy production and energy use, keeping the homeowner informed via a mobile app that allows them to set or alter its energy needs.

The futuristic tone for the development is set by the array of solar panels as you drive in. Yet its sustainability tag is not only in energy-saving provision, because this villa development has a green heart.

It recycles its water and waste and produces vegetables and greens to enhance sustainability. There are a series of bio-domes across the community with vertical farms growing fruit and vegetables.

With about 12 kilometres of rubber jogging tracks, 1.6km of cycle tracks and 8.4km of pedestrian pathways, it's possible to walk from one side of the seven-square-kilometre site to the other without crossing a road.

Charging points for electric vehicles are available in the communal parking areas, with rooftop solar photovoltaic cells offsetting 100 per cent of electricity consumption in communal areas.

The 280 villas in the first phase are now complete and ready to be handed over in July 2022. However, the developmentis so unique in Sharjah that its governance has still to catch up.

“Our partnership with Shurooq is pivotal because we are helping to deploy the first net-metering system here in Sharjah,” Mr El-Jisr said, which will allow unused energy produced by the solar panels to be credited back to owners.

“Working in collaboration with [the] Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, we look forward to the approvals coming to the development so that we can deploy the photovoltaic modules and achieve net-zero energy,” he said.

Source: The National News

UAE-based Think Upcycle collaborated with Living Business to promote local artists – while diverting furniture from landfill and giving back to society and the environment in the process

A unique piece of art that also reduces your carbon footprint? That’s the proposition that Think Upcycle, a UAE-based marketplace for pre-loved quality household goods, offers UAE consumers. In the process, local designers and artisans are given a platform to showcase their work and reach new buyers.

“Eighty-eight per cent of the people who live in the UAE are from somewhere else,” says CEO Nadeem Khan. This high percentage of expatriates results in a high turnover of furniture waste as new people set up homes and others leave the country each year. “Eight-five per cent of the bulky waste that goes to the landfill is furniture,” Khan adds.

He says Think Upcycle was started in 2019 as a two-sided marketplace based on a circular economy to tackle this problem of wasted furniture and offer a high-quality, affordable alternative to buying new furniture through upcycling and restoration.

The brand caters to a rising appetite for sustainability. A BCG study last year found that a large share of consumers across the six GCC nations are adjusting their behaviour in light of environmental considerations: 56 per cent of respondents said they feel strongly about the need to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Consumers say environmental sustainability among the most important socioeconomic challenges, and, depending on the country, about 80-95 per cent said they are willing to start or are already taking action in response to climate change, the study reported. Last year, Think Upcycle partnered with the Living Business programme to accelerate its circular economy goals. The Living Business programme, in collaboration with HSBC Bank, supports enterprises through one-on-one strategic guidance on transitioning to more sustainable operations.

Creating jobs in the circular economy

Following recommendations from the Global Living Business team, Think Upcycle launched CoCreate, a programme to attract top artisans from across the country and demonstrate the potential of upcycling.

In line with a commonly developed strategy, the Global Living team introduced Think Upcycle to four leading artists at World Art Dubai, the art and education fair. The artists are Guddi Bajan, Sana Merchant, Minal Srivastava and Sarah Shoushan.

“The plan was ambitious: many designs were selected and then eventually presented at the UK Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai as a grand finale,” Khan says. “After showcasing our upcycled furniture at Expo 2020, our CoCreate programme just took off.”

CoCreate programme empowers potential entrepreneurs and offers them easy ways to develop a side hustle and sell their products. “Think Upcycle takes care of everything, so upcyclers don't have to leave their house or workshop,” he says.

To date, Think Upcycle has attracted over 30 upcyclers, created 100 jobs, and delivered affordable art pieces to the world's most prestigious residences, including the Burj Khalifa.

Consumers benefit from a sustainable and usable art at accessible price points. An original Briggs and Jones bar cabinet, for example, can go for about AED15,000 without a custom job, Khan says. “We have an upcycled piece with crystals and resin work by a top artist for AED3499. Not only is this more cost-effective but it offers customers the choice of commissioning a piece that suits their own style on a fraction of the cost.”

Diverting waste from landfill

Most importantly, the project helped saved over 3,000 products from ending up in landfill – or the equivalent of about 200 shipping containers. That’s a recycling rate of 95 per cent, he says.

“We expect that we will be able to increase the percentage of reuse to 98 per cent in 2022,” Khan says. “We have started breaking particle wood and using it as a wood filler. Now we're moving towards making a Think Upcycle upcycled furniture range to further reduce waste.”

Think Upcycle also runs several other sustainability initiatives, Khan says. Its business model gives 20 per cent cashback to the original owner for not dumping unwanted furniture. The company has partnered with charities and social cause partners to encourage residents to give unwanted furniture, and it donates 20 per cent of sales to support worldwide initiatives.

The use of canvas bags has cut its plastic use by 50 per cent, and its staff returns plastic wrappers to industrial plastic collectors.

Finally, the company is taking the message to more people. “We teamed up with Domestika to develop artistic potential by offering upcycling courses. On Think Upcycle Courses, residents can learn, create, and be able to sell via our marketplace.”

Overall, recycling helps reduce the release of carbon into the atmosphere while increasing carbon sequestration in forest and soil, mitigating the threat of global climate change and offsetting the energy lost to entropy, according to John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri and author of Sustainable Capitalism.

As Khan says, “There are numerous advantages, the most significant of which is that purchasing second-hand products reduces one's carbon footprint by 82 per cent. Buying used is the most environmentally responsible option.”

Dubai Airports is marking the World Environment Day by kicking off a new waste management initiative that will play an integral role delivering on its commitment to keep 60 percent of all waste from Dubai International (DXB) from entering landfills by the middle of 2023.

As part of the new programme, the operator has implemented an innovative food waste treatment plan which is expected to capture and compost more than 2,000 tonnes of food waste annually from food and beverage outlets, lounges and hotels across DXB terminals and concourses.

Decomposing food waste in landfills results in the emission of methane gas which is 72 times more harmful to the environment than CO2.

The innovative new food waste plan was created in partnership with Dubai Airports’ waste management partner BEEAH Group, the Sharjah-based sustainability pioneer. It uses a special high-tech biodigester compost system installed in multiple locations across DXB that dramatically increases the speed at which food waste breaks down and becomes reusable compost and clean wastewater.

The DXB waste diversion strategy is designed to sustain a resilient waste management system that identifies the least economic, environmental, and social impact methods to capture, treat, reuse, or recycle all forms of waste. To date, the programme has already achieved greater than 40 percent reduction in waste, including a special initiative that captures 100 percent of all cooking oil used in airport F&B outlets and converts it to biodiesel fuel.

"Capturing and diverting all forms of waste from landfills is a strategically important component of our waste management programme. While airport operations contribute a very small percentage of the overall waste generated at DXB, we are working in close partnership with airlines, F&B facilities, and all other partners across the airport to make a unified commitment to achieving and surpassing our 60 percent waste reduction objective," said Jamal Zaal, Vice President of Safety and Sustainability at Dubai Airports.

"BEEAH Group is committed to being Dubai Airports’ partner to create a range of innovative new programmes to capture and find a useful purpose for all forms of waste in the most practical and impactful ways possible. Deploying Power Knot technology across all DXB terminals and concourses is a great example of that innovation and will put us on the path to achieve our goal of eliminating food waste and achieving our waste diversion targets," said Rafael Sanjurjo Lopez, CEO Bee’ah Tandeef.

World Environment Day is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.

Held annually since 1974, it has grown into the largest global platform for environmental outreach. The campaign slogan for World Environment Day 2022, hosted by Sweden, is "Only One Earth" and is focused on living sustainably in harmony with nature.

Source: Zawya

JUNE 1, 2022: A ban on the single-use of plastic products in Abu Dhabi has come into effect from today, under the emirate’s integrated Single-Use Plastic Policy. The initiative will prevent the sale of single-use plastic bags across all retailers.

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) launched the Single-Use Plastic Policy in March 2020, which, along with subsequent regulations, will help the emirate’s marine and land environment remain free from single-use plastic waste.

In 2018 there were 474 supermarket or hypermarket branches in the UAE, according to Statista, an online data aggregator. Adding on top of that hundreds more service stations, malls and convenience and department stores, it is clear that, from tourism to the domestic market, retail is a key part of the UAE’s diverse economy.

Its importance to the markets also means it plays a part in the country’s wider priorities. Sustainability is a key one. Today, shoppers will start seeing how retailers, in conjunction with the government and consumers, are doing their bit to help the environmental goals of the UAE.

From today, Abu Dhabi will be banning single-use plastic bags. Instead, the purchase of affordable multi-use bags will be encouraged. In a month’s time, Dubai will introduce a mandatory 25 fils ($0.07) charge for single-use bags, too.

There is strong evidence from across the globe that such measures work in protecting the environment and, crucially, that they are a minimal economic burden to shoppers, even poorer ones. Since 2008, Rwanda has had an extremely stringent ban on plastic bags, which even involves luggage being searched to stop them entering from abroad. In Kenya, a 2017 law has helped solve the issue of flooding due to blocked drains and waterways. Globally, more than 90 nations have introduced total or partial bans.

Cotton reusable mesh bags can be used for fruit and vegetables. Getty Images

Rather than being economically punitive, re-usable bags encourage consumers to become more conscious of how their actions can help the planet. A 2019 study found that California’s ban reduced plastic bag consumption by more than 70 per cent. Such cuts are needed. The UN estimates that almost 300 million tonnes of plastic pollution is created each year. From the energy required to produce them, to the lingering effects of unsustainable disposal, reducing their use is an important step in addressing the global environmental crisis.

Abu Dhabi’s decision is not about banning plastic altogether. The material has transformed industry and the world for the better. It is important to remember that it has its own positive effect on the environment, too. From preserving food and reducing waste to lightening cars and aeroplanes resulting in better fuel efficiency, plastic has a role to play in the journey to a more sustainable future. And as recycling technologies develop, the burden it sometimes places on the planet could soon become more manageable.

Today’s ban is about guaranteeing plastic’s most efficient use. Retail is a good place to start. Due to its scope and diversity, governments have often used the sector to draw consumer attention to environmental issues, whether it be the organic movement that began in the mid-20th century, country of origin labels to draw attention to fuel used to transport items or the newer emergence of refill-only shops. Introducing people to the importance of sustainability in their shopping can help them think of the same thing in their cars, homes and workplaces.

Today, not casually picking up a bag at the end of a shop might feel like a small sacrifice to the individual customer. But the wider implications and messaging of that happening en masse is a moment of great importance in the UAE’s efforts to preserve the environment.

Source: The National News UAE, Khaleej Times

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on Tuesday inaugurated the Sharjah Waste to Energy plant, the first-of-its-kind project in the Middle East.

The plant, announced in 2018, will divert up to 300,000 tonnes of waste from landfills annually, supporting the achievement of the UAE’s goals for waste diversion and management. It is the first project of Emirates Waste to Energy, a joint venture established by Bee’ah Energy and Masdar.

The project will contribute to avoiding the emission of up to 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which supports the country’s efforts to implement the strategic initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It will produce 30 megawatts of low-carbon electricity, enough to supply electricity to about 28,000 homes in the UAE, and provide 45 million cubic meters of natural gas each year.

Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah; Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, also attended the ceremony.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar; Salim bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of Bee’ah Group; Masdar chief executive officer (CEO) Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi; Bee’ah Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel, and other industry and government leaders were also present on the occasion.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said the deployment of the first commercial scale waste to energy plant in the Middle East represents a landmark achievement in the UAE’s sustainable economic growth trajectory.

“By turning waste into energy, this new plant exemplifies the economic benefits of sustainable en-ergy production and a low carbon development pathway. The use of this technology reduces waste and landfill use, creates valuable low carbon energy and introduces a new sustainable industry to our region,” he said.

“Today’s event marks a key milestone in the UAE’s sustainable development and demonstrates the economic impact of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. This is the type of practical in-novation that the UAE is keen to promote along with domestic and international partners in sup-port of commercially viable climate solutions, in particular as the nation prepares to host COP 28 next year,” he said.

Khaled Al Huraimel delivered a speech in which he thanked the Ruler of Sharjah for his continuous support for Bee’ah and its continuous efforts in implementing the emirate’s vision, which contributed to the completion of the Sharjah waste-to-energy plant.

“By enabling 100 per cent landfill waste diversion in Sharjah and contributing to low-carbon electricity in the UAE, this partnership highlights the clean-energy opportunity in tackling the challenge of unrecyclable waste,” he said.

Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, director-general of the Sharjah Broadcasting Authority, gave a presentation on the achievements of Bee’ah, the Sharjah Waste to Energy plant.

Bee’ah Group has achieved a qualitative achievement in the Emirate of Sharjah by raising the diversion of waste away from landfills at a rate of 76 per cent, the highest in the Middle East, with the support of various recycling facilities that receive various types of waste.

“With the waste-to-energy plant entering the actual operation phase, we will be able to completely treat non-recyclable waste, thus raising the rate of waste diversion in the Emirate of Sharjah away from landfills to one hundred percent,” he added.

The Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikhs and attendees watched a presentation on the stages of establishing the Sharjah Waste to Energy plant, its most prominent objectives, facilities and expected operating results.

The plant works by processing unrecyclable waste at high temperatures and the resulting heat is recovered by a boiler. The boiler then produces steam, which drives a turbine to produce electricity. Bottom ash produced during the process is collected for recovery of metals and ash material, which can be used in construction and roadwork applications. Fly ash is also collected and treated separately.

The plant covers an 80,000 sqm area and is adjacent to the integrated waste management complex operated by Bee’ah Recycling, Bee’ah Group’s recycling and material recovery business. Unrecyclable waste from the waste management complex will be taken for processing at the Sharjah Waste to Energy plant.

Source: Zawya

Ritz-Carlton JBR grows its own herbs to tackle sustainability crisis and provide fresh ingredients

A Dubai hotel has taken a big step when it comes to sustainably sourcing ingredients at its in-house restaurants – by setting up a vertical hydroponic farm on-site.

Having produce grown on the premises reduces its carbon footprint and transport costs for the buyer.

“We are doing it for two reasons. A chef will always want the freshest and best possible ingredients, and the need to think of sustainability is immense,” said the property’s executive chef, Tobias Pfister.

“We all need to reduce our carbon footprints. The food is literally grown here and then served on the tables.

“There’s no transportation or logistics involved. I can actually go in the morning to the farm and cut the lettuce and have it in a salad bowl that lunchtime.”

In vertical farming, crops are grown in layers on top of one another, while hydroponics is the process of growing plants in nutrient-rich liquid instead of soil.

A sustainable strategy

The farm, which is about 40 square metres, is inside a sealed container on the property’s grounds in Dubai Marina.

Plants, including lettuce, kale, basil, rosemary and thyme will be grown year-round.

“Sustainability is becoming something that’s an important part of the conversation for every hospitality company,” said Mr Pfister.

“It’s becoming an important trend for every chef.”

He also said food security was thrown under the spotlight by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We all saw how supply chains were interrupted. All industries were impacted, not just hospitality, and it was important to learn lessons from that,” he said.

“Companies in this region import a lot of their products, so we saw the importance of coming up with alternatives to help localise these markets.”

The Ritz-Carlton’s vertical farm was created in collaboration with Green Container Advanced Farming, a hydroponics specialist.

The method is often said to be a solution to the long-standing problem of finding areas to farm in rapidly urbanising areas.

“It has been established in many cities across the world already; it’s nothing new,” said Mr Pfister.

“When cities keep growing it means space becomes limited and conventional farming methods become unrealistic. This is clearly a way forward.”

Vertical farming on the up

US vertical farm company AeroFarms broke ground on a research and development centre in the capital last summer.

The 8,200-square-metre facility is part of a $150 million plan by Abu Dhabi Investment Office to bring cutting-edge technology to the forefront of efforts to improve food security.

At about that time, Sokovo, an agricultural technology company, announced it was building a 92,000-square-metre vertical farm at Dubai Industrial City.

“The significance of this launch is twofold; we are firstly supporting the UAE on its journey to increasing sustainability, while also enabling our guests to eat locally grown produce, which of course, is more environmentally friendly, but also superior in quality, taste and freshness,” said Jeroen Elmendorp, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai.

“Looking forward, we aim to boost responsible operations, which involves placing sustainability at the heart of all that we do.

“I am confident the launch of our very own hydroponic facility will provide our guests with an incredible culinary experience.”

Source: The National News

Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, today announced a collaboration with the American University of Sharjah’s College of Engineering to research the economic and environmental benefits of re-using of food waste to enrich manufactured soils made from bauxite residue, and further applications in waste-to-energy.

The AED 1.6 million three-year research project is the second phase of EGA’s cooperation with the American University of Sharjah on the re-use of bauxite residue, a by-product stream from alumina refining.

The new research follows three years of work between the two organisations to establish technically how food waste as biochar - a type of charcoal based on indigenous agricultural knowledge from the Amazon basin – can be combined with treated bauxite residue to create a manufactured soil for greening and other purposes.

Other by-products from food waste in the potential treatment process – bio-oil and bio-gas - were also identified in the first phase of research, with potential waste-to-energy uses.

The new research aims to show that an integrated process would be environmentally and economically beneficial, and enable the UAE’s significant food waste generation to contribute not only to bauxite residue re-use but also waste-to-energy projects.

The recovery of food waste as a designer biochar and as bio-energy products would constitute a significant innovation at the global level. The work could contribute directly to the UAE’s aim of reducing waste-to-landfill by 75 per cent by 2030, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, optimising local resources, and through R&D, contribute to the overall development of the UAE knowledge economy.

EGA has also been conducting research in-house and with other institutions including The University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. Earlier this year, EGA announced the company is to build a pilot plant in Al Taweelah to convert bauxite residue into manufactured soil products. The pilot plant is thought to be the first of its kind in the world.

Abdalla Al Zarooni, Vice President – Technology Development and Transfer at EGA, said: “We are always looking at solutions to reduce the waste streams of our industrial activities, in addition to supporting the UAE’s net zero ambitions and landfill reduction goals. Following the technical breakthrough of EGA’s Turba process, which is the conversion of bauxite residue into a manufactured soil, we look forward to our researchers examining the further economic and environmental benefits of using food waste to generate the required biochar for this manufactured soil.”

Dr. Yassir Makkawi, Project lead investigator and Professor of Chemical Engineering at AUS, said: “Sustainable management of both industrial and food waste is one of the main challenges of governments as they seek to meet their targets for waste minimisation and reducing CO2 emissions. With environmental outcomes an increasing concern of the public and strict regulations in place governing waste disposal and landfill, finding novel solutions is becoming more and more important. This project will now contribute to the UAE’s ability to successfully manage industrial and food waste in a way that has less of a detrimental impact on the environment than has traditionally been the case.” 

Industry experts estimate that at least 150 million tonnes of bauxite residue are produced worldwide each year and less than two percent are currently put to productive use. Left untreated, bauxite residue is a caustic material that cannot support plant life. The UAE imports large quantities of soil products each year for greening and agricultural purposes.

The UAE produces approximately two million tonnes of food waste per year and initial research suggests that an estimated 20 to 40 per cent could be converted to biochar and a similar percentage to bio-energy products.

Bio-energy products are a renewable low carbon energy source, that can be used as a substitute for fuel oil or diesel in electricity generation.

EGA’s Bauxite Residue R&D Group has created a portfolio of additional novel applications that are at an advanced stage of development, with further pilot-scale trials expected.

EGA has already developed re-uses for other waste streams from its industrial activities. These include spent pot lining, a by-product of aluminium smelting, which is re-used as an alternative feedstock and fuel by the UAE cement industry; carbon dust, which is also used as a fuel in cement manufacturing; and dross which is processed to recover aluminium. EGA’s long-term aspiration is to send zero process waste to landfill.

Source: Zawya

Charge being introduced in July covers paper and other biodegradable materials, as well as plastic bags, officials say

As Dubai gears up to introducing a 25 fils ($0.07) charge for single-use bags, authorities have clarified that this is not limited to plastic bags.

From July 1, the mandatory tariff will be applied to all single-use bags — made of plastic, paper, biodegradable plastic and plant-based biodegradable materials — that are 57 micrometres (1 micrometre is one thousandth of a millimetre) thick, Dubai Municipality said on Friday.

All stores must levy the charge for each single-use bag, and a different tariff can be applied to reusable alternatives, if provided by the store.

Stores are not obliged to provide free alternatives, as the goal is to push a change in consumer behaviour to protect the environment, the municipality said.

The charge, which will be added to the customers bill, is the first step towards a complete ban on single-use plastic bags in Dubai in two years. Retailers will get four months to roll out the charge.

There will be no limit on the number of bags sold to customers at the checkout counters but staff will be trained to rationalise the use of carrier bags when packing and delivering purchases, officials said.

Dubai recommends that private sector retailers donate the money to support sustainable initiatives, either through the company or local environmental and community associations.

Disposable bags are a major source of litter and pollution in the environment.

“It should be noted that alternatives often have a larger environmental footprint than plastic bags but are easier to manage at the disposal stage and cause less environmental and health damage, provided they are used properly,” the municipality said in a release.

“For example, the production of paper bags is also harmful to the environment and leads to the cutting of a large number of trees and consumes great resources and energy, and therefore its use also requires paying the imposed fees.

“Single-use plastic bags have a lower environmental footprint than paper bags in the manufacturing stage, but their damages lie in the disposal stage.

“We need to use paper bags at least three to seven times to have a lower environmental impact than non-recyclable plastic bags.”

Retail giant Majid Al Futtaim Carrefour announced last year that it would stop providing single-use plastic bags at the checkout counters of two of its Dubai branches — Carrefour Hypermarket at Cityland Mall and Carrefour Market at Arabian Ranches 1.

A study last year found that hundreds of camels across the UAE have died as a result of eating plastic over the past decade.

Of 30,000 postmortems carried out on camels since 2008, in the field or in a laboratory by staff from Dubai’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, about 300 had died because of polybezoars — stone-like lumps of indigestible material including plastic, rope and other litter that block the digestive tract.

It means about one per cent of camel deaths in the UAE is due to the animal eating plastic waste left behind by people.

Worldwide, almost 300 million tonnes of plastic pollution is produced each year — equivalent to the weight of the entire human population, according to figures released by the UN Environment Programme.

Only nine per cent of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, dumps or polluting the environment.

The UN says that if current trends continue, the ocean could contain more plastic than fish by weight by 2050.

Source: The National News

The project will capture and store between 25,000 and 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually

Egypt and Italian energy company Eni plan to develop a project to capture and store carbon dioxide in the Meleiha field as the North African country moves to reduce emissions.

The project, which will entail an investment of $25 million, will capture and store between 25,000 and 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, said Tarek El Molla, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, according to UAE state news agency Wam.

Carbon capture, and storage refers to a method where carbon dioxide is captured from industrial sources or directly from the atmosphere and is compressed and transported to be used elsewhere or injected into deep geological formation, according to the International Energy Agency.

The project is unveiled as the Arab region’s most populous country prepares to host the UN’s Cop27 climate change conference and summit in Sharm El Sheikh in November this year. The UAE will host the Cop28 summit in 2023.

Egypt accounts for only 0.6 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said at a petroleum conference in Cairo in February this year.

Removing carbon will be crucial to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of capping the rise in global temperatures at 1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. About 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the next 30 years need to be actively removed to reach the mandated 1.5°C target, the consultancy said.

Globally, about 33 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide were emitted in 2019. Carbon capture and storage projects across the world are able to capture only a fraction of the emissions, at about 40 million tonnes annually.

Egypt’s first carbon capture and storage project will focus on the extraction of algae oil to be used in biofuel production. It will have an annual production capacity of 350,000 tonnes for an investment of $600m, Mr El Molla said.

The project will contribute to the reduction of 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the minister said.

The second project will produce biodegradable plastics with a capacity of 75,000 tonnes at an investment of $600m. It aims to reduce 45,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, according to the minister.

The third project aims to convert plastic waste into oil to be used as a raw material in polyethylene production. It will have an annual output of 30,000 tonnes for an investment of $50m.

It plans to reduce 63,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, Mr El Molla said.

The North African country is also planning to include green hydrogen in its energy mix and plans to unveil a green hydrogen strategy by October.

Suez Canal Economic Zone offered H2 Industries preliminary approval for a $3 billion waste-to-hydrogen plant in East Port Said.

Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar and Hassan Allam Utilities also signed two preliminary agreements with Egyptian state-backed organisations last month to co-operate on the development of green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Mediterranean coast.

In April, Egypt signed a $3bn agreement with a consortium led by French company EDF Renewables and Egyptian company Zero Waste to develop a green hydrogen megaproject in Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea that will produce up to 350,000 tonnes of green fuel annually for ships passing through the Suez Canal.

It also partnered with Norway’s Scatec in March to build the country’s first green ammonia plant at a cost of $5bn, with a production capacity starting at one million tonnes a year, increasing to three million tonnes.

Source: The National News

Averda, the leading international waste and recycling company headquartered in Dubai, has been awarded a three-year waste management contract for Discovery Gardens, one of Dubai’s most popular residential communities by world renowned developer, Nakheel.

The new waste management contract will transform the way waste from Discovery Gardens is managed. Averda’s services are designed to increase the amount of material recycled, reducing the proportion of the 60-70 tonnes of waste generated a day at the site sent to landfill, and to improve the overall quality of waste services.

Under the new contract, 50 large recycling cages will be provided, making it significantly easier for residents to recycle. Materials collected for recycling will include paper, card, cans and plastic bottles tubs and trays. The frequency of waste collections will double to six days a week, and bins will be regularly washed, keeping the community clean and pleasant.

In addition to the usual dry mixed recycling detailed above, Averda will also provide three dedicated bins for residents to recycle any old or broken electrical items. These will be sent for specialist recycling at a dedicated facility. Averda will be working closely with Nakheel on an integrated public education campaign to ensure residents are made aware of the new services and understand what items can be recycled, and what to avoid.

Commenting on the new waste management contract, Francis Giani, Chief Community Management Officer, Nakheel Community Management, said: “Discovery Gardens is a holistic residential community inspired by garden living. Sustainable waste management is not only important to ensure quality living experience, but also contributes to Dubai’s environmental efforts. We endeavour to instil a culture of conscious and sustainable living across our assets.”

Mohamed Salah, Averda’s Commercial Director said: “We are very proud to partner with Nakheel to support their sustainability efforts at Discovery Gardens. By providing the adequate infrastructure to enable source segregation in the community paired with community education and awareness drives, our aim is to further augment residents’ recycling practices. This initiative will make Discovery Gardens an even more sustainable community by diverting its waste away from landfills.”

-Ends-

About Averda:

Averda is the leading waste management and recycling company in the emerging world, operating in India and across the Middle East and Africa. The company provides a broad and specialised range of services to over 55,000 clients - large and small - across the private and public sectors. These include the municipal authorities of major cities and household names in a wide range of sectors including oil & gas, automotive, retail and hospitality.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Dubai, Averda increasingly focuses on providing sustainable solutions which extract value from waste, reducing use of the planet’s limited natural resources and driving the circular economy. The company’s portfolio of services ranges from collecting bins and cleaning city streets to sorting, composting, recycling and disposing of household waste as well as safely managing highly-regulated hazardous waste streams including medical waste and dangerous chemicals. Recent investments have further developed the company’s waste treatment capabilities, with the goal of providing circular recovery options in all markets.

The company currently employs over 15,000 people worldwide, helping to provide secure employment amongst the communities it serves. Protection of environmental and human health is the company’s highest priority, and it operates in full compliance with international standards for quality control wherever it operates, currently: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Morocco, South Africa, Congo and India.

Source: Zawya