Nine companies are in the race for a major contract to build a recycling factory in Bahrain that will incinerate waste and convert it into power, said a report.

Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Essam Khalaf told parliament that eight bids were being studied in co-ordination with the Tenders and Auctions Board.

He said 1.5 million tonnes of waste was being dealt with daily in Bahrain, with domestic waste currently buried in a landfill site in Hafeeraf.

“This is one of the best health and environmental methods and it is being done under proper supervision,” he noted.

Khalaf said the winning bidder would be announced soon and would oversee the project for 25 years of full operation.