Dubai Municipality and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) announced today at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) plans to assess a number of decarbonisation initiatives in Dubai supporting the UAE Net Zero by 2050 target.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at COP28, the proposed carbon capture plant will capture carbon from the flue gas produced at Dubai Municipality’s Al Warsan Waste-to-Energy Plant. The Dubai Municipality Al Warsan waste-to-energy plant is a key part of the city's waste management infrastructure, converting approximately 1.9 million tonnes of solid waste annually into power. When combined with green hydrogen, the captured CO2, can be converted to renewable fuels such as e-methanol.

The collaboration also includes the potential diversion of solid waste from landfills to process it into synthetic fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel.

Dawood Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said, “This partnership with Masdar is an important milestone in our journey to develop Dubai into a world-leading city for sustainability and innovation. This collaboration embodies our strong commitment to responsible urban development. Embracing cutting-edge carbon capture technology in our city's infrastructure is vital to building a more sustainable future for both Dubai and the UAE.”

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Masdar looks forward to collaborating with the Dubai Municipality on decarbonisation solutions. With the continuous growth of the aviation and maritime sectors, we are committed to supporting these hard-to-abate sectors in supplying renewable fuels via green hydrogen for effective emission reduction. As the UAE concludes COP28 in Dubai, this project is a further example of clean energy solutions which are advancing the energy transition in support of the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.”

The agreement reflects the mutual commitment of both entities to establishing a robust strategic alliance to supervise and execute the objectives set out by the MoU.

The MoU signing is part of a series of agreements and initiatives that Dubai Municipality is announcing at COP28 in its role as a Strategic Pathway Partner. Representatives from more than 1,000 municipalities and cities are attending COP28. The event provides a global platform for Dubai Municipality to showcase its leading model for urban planning to an international audience.