350kwph solar power added to Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra recycling facility

Abu Dhabi - The increased capacity will help lower its carbon footprint by avoiding more than 1,300 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Solar energy utilisation has been upped by 350 kilowatts per hour with the opening of the second phase of the power plant project at the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Recycling Facility in Al Dhafra, the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre (Tadweer) announced on Monday.
The facility's solar energy utilisation capacity is now 600 kilowatts per hour. Aimed at lowering carbon footprint, Al Dhafra recycling facility - the first-of-its-kind in the world to be 90 per cent solar-powered - is an ambitious project of the UAE to mitigate climate change.
The increased capacity will help lower its carbon footprint by avoiding more than 1,300 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to planting 4,133 trees and saving 480,000 litres of diesel on a monthly basis.
"We aim to contribute to the country's transition to a green economy through supporting its climate change adaptation strategies and improving the quality of life of its population," said Dr Salem Al Kaabi, director-general of Tadweer.
Opened in Ghayathi, Al Dhafra in 2008, Tadweer's Al Dhafra C&D Waste Recycling Facility articulates the plans of Abu Dhabi Government to divert 75 per cent of waste from landfills. The move also supports Tadweer's efforts to ensure the aesthetic appeal of the emirate and reduce pollutants.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com 

• Abu Dhabi