UAE to add 571MW of biomass capacity to boost waste-to-energy, says BMI

The UAE, which has the largest biomass capacity in the region, is expected to develop its waste-to-energy (WtE) industry as part of the Middle East’s foray into the nascent renewable energy sector.

According to a report by research firm BMI, six of the eight waste-to-energy projects in its Key Project Data (KPD) are located in the UAE, with a combined capacity of 571 megawatts (MW).

These developments are backed by the government’s target to stop 75 percent of waste going to landfill, the report said.

The Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Plant project in the UAE has already generated enough electricity to power 2,000 homes in its first year, with the added benefit of diverting 90% of Sharjah’s waste while reducing emissions to landfill.

“With the UAE hosting COP28 this year, the market is focusing on reducing emissions, of which waste-to-energy plants are a key component. We expect this to increase the upside risk to our UAE and MENA region forecasts.”

BMI raised its forecast for installed biomass capacity in the MENA region to 659 MW in 2031 from 231 MW last year. The increase in MENA capacity was due to a large waste-to-energy project worth 400 MW in the UAE and a smaller 30 MW project in Egypt.

The report pointed out that from a global perspective, biomass capacity will increase by about 31.4GW from the end of 2022 to 2032, of which more than 65% of the growth is expected to come from the Asian market.

Mainland China will continue to lead the expansion of the biomass power generation industry in the coming years, with a net capacity increase of 6.9GW between the end of 2022 and 2032, accounting for more than half of the growth in biomass power generation capacity in Asia.

Bioenergy, which includes biomass and biofuels used in the heating, transport and power sectors, is an important renewable energy component of India’s energy sector, accounting for 88% of total renewable energy supply in 2019, according to the IEA.

Driven by government support and a large agricultural sector, India will overtake Germany in 2032 to become the world’s fourth-largest biomass market, BMI said.

(Writing by Brinda Dalasha; Editing by Saipan Scalia)

brinda.darasha@lseg.com