LONDON — The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind one of the world's most ambitious tourism initiatives, has awarded a solid waste management contract to a joint venture between leading waste management company, Averda and the Saudi Naval Support Company (SNS).

The partnership involves collecting and recycling waste generated by administration offices, residential facilities, and construction activities, meeting the high environmental standards set for the project and with the goal of “zero waste to landfill”.

“We're uncompromising in our commitment to protect, preserve and enhance the natural environment. Pioneering new standards in sustainable development to achieve this goal is at the heart of The Red Sea Project, as is selecting the right partners who are willing and able to support our ambition,” said John Pagano, Chief Executive Officer, The Red Sea Development Company.

“We are pleased to award this contract and feel confident that both organizations will play a key role in the delivery of our aim to achieve zero waste to landfill even during the construction phase, collecting and sorting waste to ensure where appropriate, waste is recycled, composted or incinerated.”

The scope also includes sewage collection services, involving the collection and transportation of the sewage via tanker trucks to the sewage treatment plant in Yanbu until the construction and commissioning of the temporary sewage treatment plant (STP) for the project is completed.

Recycling and reusing waste underpin this contract approach as it will support the company in designing, building, and operating Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) plants. The recyclable material that is recovered from both the MSW and CDW stream is then transferred for further processing or used as fill material on the project.

Similarly, a composting unit is then utilized for turning organic-rich waste into compost to be used for the project’s landscaped areas and in the site nursery. Equally important, incinerators are used for processing any non-recyclable waste, and the ash generated is mixed with cement for the production of bricks.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to serve this prestigious project. It gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in the waste management sector and that when leveraged correctly, our approach can contribute to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for sustainability and circular carbon economy concepts,” said Wissam Zantout, Managing Director – Saudi Arabia, Averda.

The Red Sea Project site is being developed from the ground up, with no pre-existing infrastructure in place. The award of this contract represents another positive step forward in the development of enabling infrastructure that supports the delivery of the first and second phases of construction.

TRSDC is developing Saudi Arabia’s flagship international tourism destination and is setting new standards in sustainable development. Its sustainability targets include a 100 percent reliance on renewable energy, a total ban on single-use plastics, and complete carbon neutrality in the destination’s operations. — SG