Sharjah’s waste-to-energy plant reaches major milestone with over a million tonnes processed

Sharjah’s waste-to-energy plant has hit a pretty significant milestone, processing over a million tonnes of waste since it first started functioning. This achievement really highlights the emirate’s push towards reducing landfill use almost entirely. Located within BEEAH’s Waste Management Complex in Al Saja’a, the facility is now being positioned as a key part of Sharjah’s broader circular economy initiatives and as a practical contributor to the UAE’s goal of net-zero emissions.

According to a statement from the company, shared through Zawya, the plant is currently generating around 30MW of low-carbon electricity that feeds into the Sharjah power grid. It also diverts residual waste that, without this facility, would likely have gone straight to the landfill. BEEAH claims that this project already helps Sharjah keep a landfill diversion rate of about 93%. That figure really says something about the wider system in place, covering collection, sorting, recycling, and energy recovery.

The facility was set up in 2022 and is described as the region’s first commercial-scale waste-to-energy plant of its kind. It was developed through the Emirates Waste to Energy Company, which initially combined BEEAH and Masdar. Later, BEEAH’s own report states that Tadweer Group took over Masdar’s stake in 2025, becoming a joint-venture partner alongside BEEAH. That’s noteworthy because it shows how the project has grown as the UAE’s waste and energy sectors are consolidating around bigger, low-carbon infrastructure projects.

This latest milestone comes just as the plant prepares for its Phase 2 expansion, which, by design, will double its output. BEEAH says the new phase will mirror the existing plant but will boost power generation capacity to 60MW. They expect annual waste processing to increase from 300,000 tonnes to about 600,000 tonnes. Additionally, emissions saved through landfill diversion are projected to jump from 450,000 to nearly 1 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. The number of homes supplied with electricity from the plant is also expected to almost double, from around 28,000 up to roughly 60,000.

In a statement quoted by BEEAH, Hamza Al Jefri, CEO of the Emirates Waste to Energy Company, pointed out that hitting one million tonnes demonstrated how the model works, especially as a solution to both dependence on landfills and rising energy needs. He added that the company’s focus now is on expanding the plant’s overall impact, while also tackling the hard-to-recycle waste streams.

Fahad Shehail, BEEAH’s chief executive for environmental initiatives, mentioned that this milestone really reflects the company’s strong partnerships and leadership vision. He explained that Phase 2 will widen the plant’s role in fostering a cleaner, more circular economy and creating sustainable long-term environmental benefits.

The plant doesn’t operate in isolation; it’s part of a bigger industrial ecosystem. BEEAH notes that the nearby waste management complex includes 12 integrated facilities, among them one of the world’s largest material recovery plants. In this system, recyclable materials are separated and reintroduced into circulation, while what’s left goes to the waste-to-energy plant for thermal treatment.

As for how the process actually works, well, BEEAH says the heat generated from burning waste is used to produce steam, which then powers a turbine to generate electricity. They also treat the gases and bottom ash according to the best available European Union techniques. Plus, they recover residual heat and condense steam in a closed-loop setup, aimed at boosting efficiency and reducing waste.

This approach aligns pretty well with the UAE’s wider strategy to diversify its energy sources. Since 2017, the country has been laying the groundwork for expanding renewable energy projects along with nuclear and other low-carbon assets. Waste-to-energy has become an increasingly important part of this mix, offering a way to generate power and deal with municipal waste growing year after year.

The Sharjah plant sits alongside large-scale initiatives like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the Barakah nuclear plant, and Dubai’s Waste-to-Energy facility. Together, these projects mirror a policy shift, viewing waste not just as a disposal problem but as a potentially valuable resource.

Of course, the scale of waste generation remains a challenge. The UAE still produces a high volume of municipal waste per person, and authorities are constantly looking for ways to cut down both environmental impact and costs associated with landfills. The Sharjah project is a key part of that effort, converting waste that’s hard to recycle into electricity and easing pressure on local landfill sites.

From a climate tech perspective, what makes this project particularly interesting is how it integrates multiple processes, sorting, recycling, and energy recovery, within a single chain. This is especially relevant here because rapid urban growth and increasing consumption mean that waste policy and energy strategies are becoming increasingly linked in the UAE.

BEEAH thinks the expansion will enable the plant to play an even bigger role in helping Sharjah achieve its zero-landfill goal. If Phase 2 goes as planned, the project will likely shift from being a regional example to a broader platform for waste-to-energy across the Middle East.

For the UAE’s climate and infrastructure goals, this milestone isn’t just about numbers. It’s kind of a sign that a commercially viable waste-to-energy model can fit into a circular system, providing electricity to the grid and reducing emissions, kind of a win-win situation, really.