Work on doubling the capacity of Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant in Dubai, UAE, is in full swing with 17  per cent of the project's second phase already completed, said a report.

The Dh1.3-billion ($353 million) expansion work has three main objectives; absorbing the excess influx from the planned Expo 2020 areas, keeping pace with the upcoming expansion projects in the emirate, and shifting a certain percentage of loads of the Warsan plant to Jebel Ali plant, as it is running 27 per cent above its design capacity, reported state news agency Wam.

Once the work is completed, it will boost the capacity of the Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant from 375,000 cu m per day to 675,000 cu m per day, said the report, citing a senior government official.

"The project is being developed in six phases in two main pathways, the liquid waste treatment process and solid waste treatment process," stated Mohamed Ahmed Al Rayes, the acting director of Sewerage and Irrigation Department.

"It has a plant for the production of compost from solid waste which is sold to the public, which adds economic value to the project. The treated water is pumped again through a pipeline network covering the whole of Dubai for use in irrigation of public parks and is sold to developers and farm owners, which also adds economic value to the project," explained Al Rayes.

He pointed out that a by-product of the process includes methane which will be used in the production of electricity, thus saving energy consumption from the public network and in line with Dubai's sustainability policy.