UAE based waste management firm Bee'ah will turn a landfill site in Sharjah into a solar PV farm with more than 42 MW capacity calling it the 'first of its kind' solar energy landfill project in the region. The new solar PV facility will be developed on 47 hectares of space in Al Saja landfill area.
A public private partnership company, Bee'ah said in phase I, 24 MW of solar power capacity will be built using 270,565 m2. space, to be followed by 16 MW in phase 2 on an additional 200,099 m2 area.
To be repurposed as a solar farm site, Bee'ah will first need to stop the Al Saja location from being used as a landfill which only can happen when the company is able to reach the zero-waste target for the city of Sharjah helping 100% waste in the city to be diverted from landing into landfills. Currently, it claims to have been able to divert 76% waste for the city. In 2021, it expects the "Sharjah Waste to Energy Facility" to be launched with a capacity to process 300,000 tons of nonrecyclable waste to generate 30 MW of electricity. "On reaching the zero-waste target, Bee'ah will then be able to repurpose the Al Saja's landfill into a solar energy farm," it stated.
The company explains that solar energy presents itself as a viable and quicker option for repurposing landfill sites that usually require lengthy periods of time, as much as 30 years, for environmental remediation and monitoring to be able to consider these sites for redevelopment.
"Bee'ah aims to make environmental sustainability a reality, and this investment to rejuvenate the Al Saja'a landfill for long-term solar infrastructure will help Sharjah attain its renewable energy targets, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels," said Bee'ah Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel. "Our new solar plant project will help fuel the energy requirements for the Emirate, while showcasing how innovation can be utilized to continuously improve the quality of life for communities."
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