Emirates RDF to start production of alternative fuel for cement factories

Emirates RDF, a partnership between water treatment expert Besix, Finnish group Griffin Refineries and Ajman-based Tech Group Eco, has announced that is set to start production of alternative fuel at the company’s facility in Umm Al Quwain.

In a statement, it explained that the household waste collected will be converted into an alternative energy source called Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), which will be used as a fuel in cement factories instead of coal. This is part of Emirates RDF’s strategy to generate green energy, it said.

Once operational from October 1, Emirates RDF, the first RDF facility in the region, will be able to handle over 1,000 tonnes of waste from the emirates of Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.

A delegation drawn from the municipality of Ajman and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment visited the Emirates RDF plant ahead of its start of operations early next month.

The head of the Ajman Municipality, together with the undersecretary toured the facility ahead of the launch of its operation.

Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi – Director General of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Saif Al Shara – Assistant Under-Secretary of Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Yousif Alahmed Al Rayssi – Director, Municipal Affairs Department at MOCCAE, Elias Sfeir – Northern Emirates General Manager, Besix Middle East, Yousef Sultan Al Ajmani, Executive Manager, Emirates RDF, and other officials took part in the inspection visit.

“Emirates RDF is delighted that after intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the President’s Initiatives Committee (Ministry of Presidential Affairs), the RDF facility is ready for the production of high-quality alternative fuel for factories in the region, said Nicolaas de Koning, general manager, Emirates RDF.

“The Emirates RDF plant will have enhanced capacity that will enable us to divert over 80 percent of household waste from the landfill. This will be a huge boost to our environment conservation efforts,” he added.