Arab News, Tue, Jul 02, 2024 | Dhu al-Hijjah 26, 1445
Saudi Arabia to turn 3m tonnes of waste into fuel annually with new management project
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia is set to process approximately 3 million tonnes of municipal solid
waste annually to produce refuse-derived fuels in six governorates following a
new agreement.
The new plastic waste management project, a
collaboration between MVW Lechtenberg and Partner, a German environmental
consulting firm, and Norwegian solution provider Empower, is expected to reduce
carbon emissions by approximately 1,791,300 tonnes per year.
This will contribute to achieving the Kingdom’s
environmental sustainability goals toward a greener future, aiming to mitigate
pollution and protect natural resources.
It also aligns with the nation’s endeavors to
achieve sustainable development goals through well-designed plans and processes
in all its sectors, including the National Environment Strategy.
To bolster the capabilities and extend the reach
of this initiative, MVW Lechtenberg and Partner Middle East and the Saudi
Investment Recycling Co. have established a joint venture.
SIRC is a key player in this project, serves as
the executive arm for waste management in Saudi Arabia, and is wholly owned by
the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund.
Empower’s blockchain technology will be crucial to
this project. It will enable transparent tracking and management of plastic
trash from collection to recycling and include refuse-derived fuel conversion.
This system will allow real-time monitoring of
waste management activities, delivering valuable data to stakeholders such as
municipalities, governments, and environmental organizations.
One important aspect of this project involves
combining plastic credits with refuse-derived fuel.
This will incentivize responsible waste disposal
by providing financial rewards for verified plastic waste collection and
recycling activities.
The credits are tradable and can be sold to
organizations seeking to offset their plastic impact or meet environmental
standards, promoting a circular economy approach.
In January, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of
Environment, Water and Agriculture unveiled a plan to recycle up to 95 percent
of the country’s waste, a move it claims will contribute SR120 billion ($31.99
billion) to the gross domestic product, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The initiative will help create over 100,000 jobs
in the sector for Saudi nationals and seeks to recycle up to 100 million tonnes
of waste annually in a push toward its sustainability efforts.