Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) announced on 1 April that it will build a waste-to-energy demonstration facility on Dalma Island, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi’s Center for Waste Management (CWM). TAQA said the unit will produce 1-2mw of electricity, enough to power more than 200 households. Waste from Dalma Island is currently shipped 32km to the mainland for burying in landfill sites.

The announcement follows TAQA’s beginning in late February of the tendering process for construction of a 100mw waste-to-energy plant to start up in 2016-17, at an estimated cost of $850mn (MEES, 8 March). Saif al-Sayari, head of TAQA’s Energy Solutions division, said: “We consider this demonstration plant a practical first step to capture lessons learned during construction and operation phases and benefit our announced large-scale project to convert 1mn tons/year of municipal solid waste into 100mw of alternative power.” (CONTINUED - 279 WORDS)