UAE - The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) and Emirates RDF have signed MoUs with four cement companies - Fujairah Cement Industries, JSW Cement, Lafarge Emirates, and Star Cement - that will see the four partially use alternative fuel generated from municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment by the Emirates RDF at its plant in Umm Al Quwain for its manufacturing operations.

Emirates RDF is a joint venture between leading water treatment expert Besix, Finnish group Griffin Refineries and Ajman-based Tech Group Eco.

The Emirates RDF plant in Umm Al Qaiwain is the first facility of its kind in the country. It treats MSW generated in the emirates of Ajman and Umm Al Qaiwain and turns it into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) that can be used to provide energy to power the operations of cement factories.

The deals with the cement companies is part of the Ministry’s efforts to boost the involvement of the private sector in achieving net-zero, applying circular economy principles, and building an integrated waste management system, said a statement from the MoCCAE.

The agreements were signed in the presence of Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, representatives of the Follow-Up Committee of the Initiatives of the UAE President, members of the Follow-up and Supervision Committee of the Emirates RDF Project, and executive directors of the cement factories.

The plants will start to use alternative biofuel in their production activities in confirmation of their commitment to sustainability and supporting the development of a circular economy through an effective and long-term waste management solution in line with the UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031, it stated.

Speaking on the occasion, Mariam Almheiri said: "The participation of the private sector is the main pillar of the UAE’s green economy transition and the adoption of circular economy methods, the foremost of which is integrated waste management. Therefore, the ministry is keen to expand its cooperation with private sector entities to enhance their effective contribution to the country’s endeavours to drive sustainable economic development and build a better, greener future."

"The signing of the agreements with a group of leading cement factories in the country to partially use alternative fuel in their operations is a high-impact step within our efforts to implement integrated waste management and reduce harmful emissions," she stated.

The project significantly contributes to diverting MSW from landfills, implementing integrated waste management, and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she added.

Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).