Landmark Project Emirates Biotech, UAEU to Develop UAE’s First Organic-Waste Valorization Pilot Plant

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Under a joint research project, Emirates Biotech and the United Arab Emirates University will work together to design, build, and operate the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorization pilot plant.

Abu Dhabi/UAE – Emirates Biotech and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) have launched a joint research project to design, build, and operate the UAE’s first integrated organic-waste valorization pilot plant. Mixed food waste streams containing compostable packaging will be converted to renewable biogas and nutrient-rich compost.

The partnership was officially launched at UAE University in Al Ain in the presence of key value chain stakeholders, including the Emirates Environmental Group, Hotpack, AW Rostamani Group (Verrapak), Tadweer Group, University of Sharjah, and Pacogreen.

Located near the UAEU campus in Al Ain, the pilot plant will process up to 40 kg of organic waste per day. The project will develop technical and operating guidance to support the potential scale-up of the model in the UAE and beyond.

In the UAE, food waste accounts for nearly 40 % of daily municipal solid waste, with much of it disposed of in landfills. At the same time, traditional plastic packaging heavily contaminated with food residues can be more difficult to recycle. The project will explore how food waste and compostable packaging can be processed together to recover valuable resources, while helping divert waste from landfill.

Dr. Rami, Associate Provost for Research, UAEU stated: “At UAEU, we believe that solving societal and environmental challenges requires strong collaboration between academia and industry. Our partnership with Emirates Biotech demonstrates how research and innovation can be translated into practical, scalable solutions that support the UAE’s sustainability goals.”

“This integrated pilot project will evaluate a practical end-of-life pathway for food waste and compostable packaging while supporting the UAE’s circular economy, food security and Net Zero ambitions. It will also provide a platform for training students and researchers and strengthening local capability in waste-to-resource technologies,” said Professor Zafar Said Sher, UAEU project lead.

The pilot plant will integrate anaerobic digestion and composting, producing renewable biogas and nutrient-rich compost. Over the two-year project, from August 2026 to August 2028, researchers will evaluate the performance, environmental and economic potential of the integrated process, with installation and commissioning expected to be completed by August 2027.

Students and researchers will contribute to the project, gaining hands-on research and technical training, while a laboratory-scale assessment will also explore the potential to convert the biogas into renewable hydrogen.

“The project will demonstrate a novel integrated biorefinery concept for organic waste management in the UAE. Anaerobic digestion will convert organic waste into renewable biogas, with the potential for upgrading to green hydrogen. The resulting digestate will undergo composting to produce nutrient-rich compost. Successful regional validation could be a game changer for organic waste diversion and circularity, while demonstrating the role of compostable packaging as an enabler,” Dr. Aman Kulshrestha, Chief Technology Officer of Emirates Biotech added.

If successfully scaled, an integrated organic waste valorization plant could eventually reduce CO₂ emissions by 89 % in comparison to landfilling.

By generating validated technical evidence, the project is expected to provide a scalable, modular roadmap for transforming food waste and compostable packaging into renewable biogas and compost, supporting the UAE’s long-term waste-management, circular-economy and sustainability goals.

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