Umm Al Quwain, UAE - September 27, 2020: A high-powered delegation drawn from the municipality of Ajman and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment today visited the Emirates Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) plant ahead of its start of operations early next month.

The head of the Ajman Municipality, together with the undersecretary toured the facility to inspect its performance even as the region’s first Refuse-Derived Fuel plant in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain is able to receive over 1,000 tonnes of waste from the emirates of Ajman and Umm Al Quwain from October 1, 2020.

Speaking during the visit, the Emirates RDF spokesperson said: “Emirates RDF is delighted that after intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the President’s Initiatives Committee (Ministry of Presidential Affairs), the RDF facility is ready for the production of high-quality alternative fuel for factories in the region. The Emirates RDF plant will have enhanced capacity that will enable us to divert over 80 percent of household waste from the landfill. This will be a huge boost to our environment conservation efforts,’’ said Nicolaas de Koning, general manager, Emirates RDF.

High-ranking officials attending the exclusive site visit included H.E. Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi - Director General of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, H.E. Saif Al Shara - Assistant Under-Secretary of Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Eng. Yousif Alahmed Al Rayssi - Director, Municipal Affairs Department at MOCCAE, Elias Sfeir – Northern Emirates General Manager, BESIX Middle East, and Yousef Sultan Al Ajmani, Executive Manager, Emirates RDF.

As part of its strategy to generate green energy, the household waste collected will be converted into an alternative energy source called Refuse Derived Fuel, which will be used as a fuel in cement factories instead of coal.

The Emirates RDF is a joint venture of BESIX, the Ajman-based Tech Group Eco single owner holding company, and Finland-based Griffin Refineries.