Used cooking oil recycling facility to open in Capital

Saeed Al Mehairbi of Tadweer and Naji El Haddad of Reed Exhibitions

A facility to recycle used cooking oil and transform it into bio-fuel will be among the biggest waste treatment projects that will be established in Abu Dhabi this year.
The Centre of Waste Management - Abu Dhabi (Tadweer) on Tuesday said it will sign several new high-profile projects for the Capital with the private sector, at the fifth edition of EcoWaste Exhibition, taking place from January 15-18 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).
Explaining the importance of the used cooking oil recycling facility, Saeed Al Mehairbi, acting general manager, Tadweer, said it will be generating biodiesel from used cooking oil, which will help minimise waste and reduce carbon emissions.
"The project aims to promote recycling and reuse, and provides methods needed by the community to facilitate proper disposal of waste. It is considered first of its kind in the field of recycling in the UAE," Al Mehairbi told the media ahead of the EcoWaste Exhibition.
The project will be run in partnership with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, according to Tadweer.
"This new project would open prospects to produce cost-effective biofuel, which would also help reduce carbon emissions," said Al Mehairbi.
"Our combined effort will result in the development of new technologies that will help the UAE and the world meet clean energy goals and objectives," he added.
Al Mehairbi explained that two oil-recycling facilities will be opened in Abu Dhabi by end of this year.
The project that aims at developing a sustainable, community-based system will involve collecting used-cooking oil from hotels, restaurants, homes and other establishments across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Tadweer and its partners will be working on educating residents on the correct methods of disposing of cooking oils and informing them about the designated collection areas.
"The role of recycling and reducing wastes should be for everybody. People should purchase only what they can consume to reduce on the wastes thrown in the landfills," said Al Mehairbi.
He noted that the Abu Dhabi government is keen to advocate recycling and reusing for the preservation of natural resources while ensuring the use of clean renewable energy technologies.
According to the Abu Dhabi Vision, Tadweer aims at recycling 65 per cent of all types of wastes in Abu Dhabi by 2020.
Other new projects for which contracts are expected to be signed during the exhibition include one for controlling the emission of methane gas from Al Dhafra landfill, an investment project for used cooking oil recycling facility, investment project for management and treatment of medical and hazardous waste in Al Ain region and an investment project for management and treatment of medical and hazardous waste in Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra region.
The projects are in line with Abu Dhabi's strategic goal of creating a sustainable environment through effective waste management policies and strategies.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi