Sajidh Sabasivan, an operator at the plant in Al Dhafra, watches the recycling process.
Sajidh Sabasivan, an operator at the plant in Al Dhafra, watches the recycling process.

Fall in demand halts recycling plant



ABU DHABI // Work has come to a halt at the only recycling centre in the capital that processes construction and demolition waste.

The Dh45 million plant near Abu Dhabi's main landfill in Al Dhafra has been out of action since the end of November because of low demand for its end product - material used for road construction and other infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, thousands of tonnes of waste concrete and asphalt are being stockpiled every day until recycling starts up again. At 9,000 tonnes a day, construction and demolition debris is the largest source of waste in Abu Dhabi.

"All we have done is adjust our operations to suit the current market conditions," said Tim Harwood, the general manager of Thiess Services Middle East, the private company that operates the plant.

A spokesman at the Centre for Waste Management - Abu Dhabi said the stoppage was temporary, and the facility would resume operations when there was a greater demand for its product.

"We are still waiting on a lot of entities like the municipality and others to make a decision regarding buying the material," the spokesman said. "This is still part of the initial process of acceptance for the material. It is just a question of adapting to it."

Since May 2010, Thiess Services Middle East has been operating the recycling facility on behalf of the Centre for Waste Management - Abu Dhabi.

The plant stopped processing the waste because of large stockpiles of finished product, Mr Harwood said.

The facility has the capacity to process more than 5,000 tonnes of concrete and 1,200 tonnes of asphalt every day. At the time it was launched in 2010, officials had planned to upgrade this amount to 15,000 tonnes per day.

Back then, Mr Harwood was confident the project would be a success, even though construction in Abu Dhabi was already slowing down because of the global economic downturn.

"There is a lot of infrastructure development still in Abu Dhabi," he said at the time.

The reduced demand for recycled material is believed to be due to delays in infrastructure projects planned for the capital.

Formed in 2008, Thiess Services Middle East is a joint venture between Australia's Thiess Services and Dubai-based Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises. Thiess will operate the plant for 15 years before transferring it to the Government.

Recycling construction and demolition waste carries significant environmental benefits.

It reduces the need for landfill space, an issue of particular significance in the UAE, which has one of the highest per capita waste generation rates in the world. Using recycled material also reduces the need for fresh rock.

There is a substantial environmental cost to extracting fresh rock for construction. It is usually quarried from the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Quarrying disturbs wildlife, sends dust clouds into the air that raise concerns for public health in surrounding towns and villages, and can disrupt mountain wadis.

While lorries are being directed to a location within the landfill, the waste is being stockpiled and will be recycled at a later stage, a Government official said.

Mr Harwood said he remains optimistic, despite the glitch.

"This is the biggest recycling facility in the Middle East, we sold more than 600,000 tonnes of recycled product that would otherwise have come from virgin material," he said.

"There is a number of projects we think will start in 2012 where our material will be used."

It is not yet known when the plant will resume operations.

"It is hard to say, but I am hopeful early this year," Mr Harwood said.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Price: From Dh2,099

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Company%20Profile
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THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

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Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba