EMS has clinched a contract to supply Ajman with waste management equipment worth over GBP1.6m ($2.34mn).
The deal – which is for a materials recovery facility in two stages and includes the MH 3500 metering hopper & bag opener – is a significant investment in new and more efficient technology by AIMS Group (Ajman Investment and Marketing Services), in line with the UAE’s increasing focus on managing waste and landfill sites.
Recycling and waste management are becoming more and more of a hot topic in the UAE. The Dubai municipality has set an objective of reducing the amount of waste going to landfill to 25% by 2021. Dubai produces 8,000 tonnes of waste per day with about 75% of this coming from the private sector.
Northern Ireland-based EMS provides turnkey solutions for customers in the waste management and recycling sectors. The company designs, manufactures and installs recycling systems based on the needs of every plant, company and facility.
Established in 2006 by Harry McCourt, EMS has grown from a company which started out by designing, supplying and fitting mobile trommels and picking stations to one which now delivers full, large-scale, purpose-built picking and recycling stations and equipment that successfully diverts millions of tons of waste from landfill every year.
McCourt recently visited the site to meet with the senior management team of AIMS Group and with Invest Northern Ireland Regional Director, Barry Clarke during a trade mission to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“We’ve had tremendous support from Invest Northern Ireland from research and development for new products to new market entry and I’m delighted the local team in Dubai could witness the fruits of the organisation’s investment and overall support for EMS,” said McCourt.
“AIMS Group has an exclusive contract to collect and process waste material for Ajman Municipality. We had a number of suppliers to consider but felt that EMS offered us the best technology at a reasonable price,” said Dr Shaheed Khader, GM of AIMS Group during the visit.
He emphasised that everyone has an equal responsibility to the environment and to the citizens and residents of Ajman and UAE to use the most advanced methods to manage waste.
“Northern Ireland has been at the forefront of materials handling innovation for decades and leads the world in processing construction materials, minerals and now waste products,” said Barry Clarke of Invest Northern Ireland.
“There are vast opportunities in the Middle East region where federal and local governments are seeking advice and equipment to help manage the impact of consumerism and the reuse of waste that previously went straight to landfill,” he added.