Using artificial intelligence and high-tech innovations, Dubai is aiming to become waste-free within the next 2 years.
The city’s municipality has created the ‘Wastenizer’ project which will, in time, see high-tech waste treatment units installed in buildings and communities.
The result: treated waste being converted to electricity.
Dubai has decided to act as it recorded the highest waste generation per capita, with around 3.5 million tonnes of waste generated per year.
The benefits could be dramatic, with the city aiming to be waste-free by 2020, reduced traffic congestion with 3,850 fewer garbage trucks choking local roads and 7,560 square meters of landfill recovered.
The city wants to see high-tech waste treatment units installed in buildings and communities, with waste segregation and sorting done by artificial intelligence.
Decentralized units will raise the temperature of the waste, causing the breakdown of the waste’s chemical components. This makes it environmentally friendly and helps produce clean electrical energy which will be exported to the local electricity grid.
An estimated 17,500 tonnes of reusable ash from the waste will be used for the production of green concrete.
The benefits could be dramatic, with 3,850 fewer garbage trucks choking local roads and 7,560 sqm of landfill recovered.
The ‘Wastenizer’ is among 26 “10X” Dubai government initiatives launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The aim is to place Dubai government entities a decade ahead of the rest of the world.
Ahmad Saeed Al Badwawi, director of the municipality’s Applied Sustainability and Renewable Energy Department said:
“The project disrupts the conventional waste transportation and treatment methods and the need for landfills.”
“The technology will be fully capable of treating solid waste of all types and waste components will be sorted using artificial intelligence and smart technologies.”
The initiative will also produce cost savings of Dh2.30 million (or roughly $626k USD) per day.
The Wastenizer scheme also envisages the rolling out of autonomous solar smart bins at select locations.
Al Badwawi added:
“This innovation is the first of its kind worldwide and has very high efficiency and self-ignition with catalyst e-stones, composite material made of crushed stone driven by renewable energy.”
