Averda and WasteFuel have announced a partnership to develop the first commercial scale municipal waste to renewable methanol plant in the Middle East.
The companies announced the partnership today at the SMI event held as part of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The location for the first plant is being researched, and it is expected to be in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates.
The plant will produce renewable methanol for shipping from unrecyclable waste currently being collected and disposed of by Averda.
The renewable fuel would help shipping companies achieve up to 90 per cent reductions in CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases and pollutants compared to conventional fuels.
Averda, is an end-to-end waste management, treatment and recycling company in emerging markets.
WasteFuel operates as a developer of bio-refineries focused on converting Municipal Solid Waste into low-carbon fuels.
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Large container ships now account for approximately 20 per cent of all marine fuel demand and could account for up to 10 per cent of all global emissions by 2050.
Malek Sukkar, Chief Executive Officer of Averda, commented: “This partnership will help to address climate change by diverting waste from landfill to produce renewable fuels. Averda is proud to partner with WasteFuel, another member of SMI, to bring this innovative and sustainable solution to the region, and to continue our journey towards a world without waste.”
Trevor Neilson, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, WasteFuel, added: “Addressing the climate emergency requires an exponential increase in renewable fuel supply.
“The Middle East, specifically Jebel Ali, is considered a gateway between the Western Hemisphere and the Far East. As WasteFuel works to produce green methanol to decarbonise shipping at scale, the opportunity to develop a biorefinery in partnership with Averda in the Middle East was an exciting and logical next step.”
