Sharjah’s Bee’ah forms joint venture with Greek company to tackle marine pollution

The new company plans to process waste streams such as sludge and convert it into alternative fuel for use in the industrial sector

Evogreen has established an alternative raw material unit at Bee’ah’s waste management complex in Sharjah. Satish Kumar / The National   

Environmental management company Bee’ah and Greek company Polygreen have agreed to form a joint venture to tackle marine pollution and protect the environment.

The new company, Evogreen, has already established an alternative raw materials unit within Bee’ah’s waste management complex in Sharjah, the companies said on Saturday.

It is also building a plant to process waste such as sludge and convert it into an alternative fuel that can be used in cement manufacturing.

Evogreen will also process maritime waste and marine-related hazardous waste to produce alternative materials for industrial use.

Both units will collect, recycle and recover hazardous and non-hazardous waste from ships visiting ports in the UAE.

Bee’ah did not disclose the value of the deal.

“Our joint venture with our Greek partners ... showcases the potential of cross-border efforts to tackle global environmental concerns,” Bee’ah’s chairman Salim Al Owais said.

Addressing a range of maritime waste and pollution issues, the venture will also provide response services to manage oil spills, carry out green ship recycling and establish an environmental lab.

It will also manage distressed vessels, cargo and abandoned containers, which it will recycle or recover through repairs or refurbishment works.

“Through this joint venture, a fruitful bond is being established between Greece and the UAE, fostering the bilateral relations and paving a promising path,” said Athanasios Polychronopoulos, founder and chief executive of Polygreen.

Last month, Bee'ah announced plans to build the region's first waste-to-hydrogen project with the UK-based Chinook Sciences.

The project, part of a $180 million gasification undertaking in the emirate by the two companies to turn waste into energy, will cater to growing demand for a green version of the alternative fuel in the region.

It will include a plant and a fuel station for vehicles that run on hydrogen.

Bee'ah is also engaged in a joint venture with Masdar to develop the UAE's first solar landfill project in Sharjah to boost the emirate's renewable energy capacity.

The project, developed by the Emirates Waste to Energy Company, has a capacity of 120 megawatts and will be constructed on top of Sharjah’s Al Sajah landfill, close to Bee’ah’s waste management complex.

It will be completed in three phases, with the first phase expected to be ready in 2023.

In a solar landfill project, panels are installed on top of the site to make optimal use of space while generating clean energy.

Beea’h, which was set up in 2007, is active in different sectors such as waste management, renewable energy, environmental consulting and sustainable transport.

The company secured new contracts to manage waste in Saudi Arabia and in Egypt last year as part of its plans to grow by expanding across the Middle East.