BEEAH, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, UK-based Chinook Hydrogen, and Japan’s Air Water Inc., has announced plans to establish the Middle East’s first commercial-scale waste-to-hydrogen plant in Al Sajaa, Sharjah.
The facility will utilise Chinook Hydrogen’s RODECS gasification and pyrolysis technology alongside Air Water Inc.’s hydrogen refinement processes to convert municipal solid waste into fuel-cell grade hydrogen. The initial phase, scheduled for commissioning in the second quarter of 2027, aims to produce seven tons of green hydrogen daily, equating to an annual output of 2,560 tons. This process is expected to divert significant waste from landfills and prevent approximately 30,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
In addition to hydrogen, the plant will generate by-products such as biogenic carbon dioxide and nitrogen, which have various industrial applications. The technology was initially demonstrated in 2023 at a facility in Nottingham, UK, and presented at COP28 UAE.
The waste-to-hydrogen technology has been independently verified, achieving a Technology Readiness Level between 6 and 7, indicating its preparedness for operational environments and large-scale deployment. Following the initial phase, plans are in place to scale the plant’s production capacity to 20 tons of green hydrogen per day.
“The plant will help us tackle the challenge of emissions on multiple fronts: unlocking the opportunity of emissions-free fuel for hard-to-abate sectors, supporting hydrogen-fuelled mobility, and increasing diversion rates of hard-to-recycle waste and thereby eliminating the associated landfill emissions,” said Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO and Vice Chairman of BEEAH.
This initiative aligns with the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy, which aims to position the country as a leading hydrogen production hub by 2031.
