Abu Dhabi Breaks Ground on AI-Driven Waste Recovery Facility Processing 400,000 Tonnes Annually
Tadweer Group has started onsite construction of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Abu Dhabi that will rely on artificial intelligence and advanced technology to handle up to 400,000 tonnes of waste each year, the company announced on Thursday.
Partnership and Capacity
The facility is being developed in collaboration with Urbaser, an international environmental firm. It is scheduled to become operational during the second quarter of 2028.
Once running, the MRF will process 200,000 tonnes of household waste and another 200,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste annually. The plant will deploy AI-powered sorting systems, automated equipment, and advanced optical technologies to identify and separate different waste types, enabling the recovery of materials suitable for recycling or further processing and reducing the volume destined for landfill.
Role in Abu Dhabi’s Waste Strategy
This facility will be integrated into Tadweer Group’s broader EcoPark project, which concentrates multiple waste treatment and recycling technologies on a single site. The development supports Abu Dhabi’s target of diverting 80 percent of its waste from landfills by 2031, part of a wider push to enhance waste management and maximise the reuse of recyclable materials.
Executive Perspectives
Etienne Petit, Chief Executive Officer of Tadweer Group, described the start of onsite work as a significant milestone for both the project and the emirate’s circular economy aspirations. “This is a significant step forward for the project and for Abu Dhabi’s circular economy ambitions,” he said. Petit added that the facility would bolster Abu Dhabi’s capacity to recover useful materials from waste at a larger scale.
Rafael Guinea, Waste Treatment General Director at Urbaser, said his company would apply its expertise in waste management to aid the facility’s development. The project, he explained, will contribute to Abu Dhabi’s efforts to improve recycling and increase material recovery from waste.
The MRF represents a component of Tadweer Group’s strategy to foster a circular economy, in which materials are continually reused and recycled rather than discarded. By integrating AI and automated sorting, the initiative aims to refine waste processing, boost recycling rates, and reduce the environmental footprint of waste disposal across Abu Dhabi.
