Toxic substances in waste are a hindrance to rapid recycling. Now, toxic leaching still takes about 20 years. Waste processing company Attero is going to see whether it is also possible to do this in five years by sprinkling the waste with warm water. The entire process – made possible by Vicoma – is very environmentally friendly.
Project: leaching of toxic substances
To test the theory, the landfill in Bergen op Zoom was set up as a test location. In the experimental cleaning process warm water plays a crucial role. The percolate – the polluted water – that seeps through is collected in a water purification installation of its own. There it is made suitable for reuse. The electricity that is used is generated sustainably through a CHP plant. Attero also uses gas from its own fermentation process for the required gas engine.
Vicoma’s role: assistance in various fields
Vicoma assisted in various fields. For instance, Vicoma advised us to recondition an existing engine for use as a gas engine. Vicoma also looked into the use of heat exchangers, the power supply for the generator, high voltage protection and the process of feeding excess energy back to the grid.
Result: possibly other landfills too if successful
If successful, the pilot site in Bergen op Zoom will serve as an example for other landfill sites. If the process works as expected, it will become the new standard. Waste processing company Attero will then also introduce this process at the other landfill sites.
