Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Masdar and Bee'ah to Develop Integrated Study on Waste Management

Dubai-UAE: 18 July, 2017:  The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company-Masdar and Bee’ah aimed at developing an integrated study to implement a waste-to-energy conversion facility to serve the emirates of Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. 

Followed up by the UAE President's Initiatives Committee, the move is another important step in the country’s journey towards achieving sustainability in line with the vison of the UAE’s wise leadership. 

His Excellency Engineer Saif Mohammed Al Shara, Assistant Undersecretary for the External Audit Sector at MOCCAE, Mr. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company; and His Excellency Khaled Al Huraimel, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bee'ah, signed the MoU in the presence of His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment. 

Under the terms of the agreement, the Ministry will provide sole rights to Masdar and Bee’ah to implement and accomplish the required services for the preparation of an integrated study to develop and execute a multi-fuel commercial and traditional facility to convert waste into energy in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. A steering committee will be formed to discuss and take decisions regarding the project study. 

His Excellency Engineer Saif Al Shara said: “The signing of this MoU comes as result of the keenness of the Ministry to strengthen the existing strategic partnership with the concerned authorities to address the surging developmental challenges and manage them in a sustainable manner. It also aims to achieve the National Agenda targets under the UAE Vision 2021.”  

He pointed out that the development of an integrated study for the implementation of Ras Al Khaimah's waste-to-energy conversion facility will serve the emirates of Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah and provide an integrated, sustainable and ecofriendly solution for the disposal of municipal solid waste in the UAE.
Speaking on this occasion, His Excellency Khaled Al Huraimel said: “With the economic growth that the UAE has enjoyed over the past years, it is necessary for us to pursue responsible energy stewardship and diversify the region’s renewable energy portfolio to achieve the sustainability benchmarks earmarked in the UAE Vision 2021. Optimizing energy efficiency and maximizing waste diversion from landfills, waste-to-energy projects hold great potential for the clean energy future of the UAE. Partnering with the Ministry of Climate Change & Environment, Bee’ah and Masdar will exert our cumulative efforts, through the Emirates Waste to Energy Company, to study and develop waste-to-energy facilities in the Northern Emirates.” 

“Working in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Bee’ah, we will further advance the application of commercial waste-to-energy technologies in the UAE, while promoting the UAE’s overarching goal of diverting 75% of its municipal solid waste away from landfill by 2021,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi. 

“Today’s announcement follows the launch in May of the region’s first dedicated waste-to-energy company, Emirates Waste to Energy Company, through our joint venture with Bee’ah, which will build a facility in Sharjah capable of diverting as much as 300,000 tons of solid waste away from landfill each year on completion. The rapid ongoing development of the Northern Emirates is creating demand for high-tech environmental management solutions that we hope to provide as an outcome of this important collaboration with the Ministry and Bee’ah.”