Waste-to-energy is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity or heat from the treatment of waste. The UAE has developed several large-scale waste-to-energy facilities across the emirates as part of its landfill diversion and clean energy goals.

In Abu Dhabi

A waste-to-energy facility is under development in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) in the Mussafah region, led by Tadweer Group (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center) together with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), with Hitachi Zosen Inova and Marubeni as technology and development partners. The plant is expected to process approximately 900,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste a year and generate up to around 80–90 MW of electricity — enough to power more than 20,000 households — while reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 1.1 to 1.5 million tonnes a year. Construction is expected to begin around 2026, with commercial operation targeted for 2027.

In Dubai

The Warsan Waste-to-Energy Centre, located in the Al Warsan area of Dubai, is the largest waste-to-energy facility in the Middle East. Developed by Dubai Municipality under a 35-year public-private partnership with Warsan Waste Management Company (WWMC), the AED 4 billion (USD 1.2 billion) first phase was inaugurated in July 2023, and the plant reached full commercial operation in September 2024.
The facility processes up to 6,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day (around 2 million tonnes per year) — roughly 45 per cent of Dubai's total waste output — and generates 200–220 MW of electricity, enough to power more than 135,000 homes. Since operations began, the plant has diverted more than 4.5 million tonnes of waste from landfill. A Phase 2 expansion, which will further increase processing and generation capacity, is expected to launch in 2026.
This supports Dubai's strategy to eliminate landfill use by 2041; the emirate has already closed landfill sites in Warsan, Jebel Ali and Hatta, with the Al Qusais and Al Bayadiyah sites due to close by 2027.

In Sharjah

The Sharjah Waste to Energy plant, developed by Emirates Waste to Energy Company (a joint venture between Bee'ah and Tadweer Group), is the UAE's first commercial-scale waste-to-energy facility. It has been operating since 2022 within Bee'ah's Waste Management Complex in Al Sajaa, generating approximately 30 MW of electricity for the Sharjah public grid and supplying around 28,000 homes. As of April 2026, the plant has processed more than 1 million tonnes of waste since inauguration, offsetting approximately 450,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and contributing to Sharjah's 93 per cent landfill diversion rate. A Phase 2 expansion — a second, duplicate plant — is underway and will double the facility's processing capacity to up to 600,000 tonnes of waste per year.

In Ras Al Khaimah

The Energy from Waste Program of the RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040 integrates seamlessly into the broader waste management strategy of Ras Al Khaimah. It focuses on promoting energy outcomes for the available waste, targeting at least 2% of the primary energy demand of Ras Al Khaimah to be fulfilled from waste by 2040.
The Energy from Waste Program is planned in two phases:

• An initial phase of studies and pilots (2018–2020), when various diversion options and energy outcomes were explored for different waste streams and the best options selected.
• A subsequent implementation phase (2021 onwards), when the selected waste treatment options are implemented.

Source: Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.