Schneider Electric is going to supply a range of electrical solutions at the Sharjah Waste to Energy facility, the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates.

Schneider Electric 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, a sustainable environmental services company, and Masdar, a renewable energy company. French industrial company CNIM 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.”

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 landfills 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.