France-based energy service provider Schneider Electric has awarded the contract to supply a range of electrical solutions at the Sharjah Waste to Energy facility, the first of its kind in the UAE.
According to the company statement, the company will supply and install medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear as well as EcoStruxure Power SCADA Operation (PSO) software, which will offer real-time situational knowledge of the plant’s electricity network and ensure the power systems are optimized and running 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 engineering company CNIM is contracted to build and operate the facility.
HE Khaled Al Huraimel Group CEO – Bee’ah
“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.
The Sharjah Waste to Energy facility will process 37.5 tonnes of non-recyclable solid municipal waste per hour, diverting over 300,000 tonnes from landfill per year in support of the UAE’s waste management goals. Furthermore, the facility will produce up to 30 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which will be directly connected to the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority’s (SEWA) grid and used to power approximately 28,000 homes.
“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,” commented Ahmed Khashan, Cluster President at Schneider Electric – Gulf Countries.
