Demonstration of a new circular waste treatment process with higher recycling rates and a smart customised production of alternative fuel from unrecyclable fractions for EIIs and advanced power plants

Introduction

Although the main goal of the EU is the reduction of waste, the total amount is still growing. Moreover, 40% of EU waste remains unused, which is an enormous loss of resources and energy (e.g., currently non-recyclable plastics).

Need for Innovation

Since not every type of waste can be prepared for re-use, innovative concepts need to be developed to avoid landfilling.

Project Overview

SRF 4.0 will construct a first-of-its-kind demonstration plant (input capacity 100,000 t/a), including the latest available technology for sorting industrial, commercial, and household waste. This permits maximum recovery of valuable materials such as:

• Ferrous metals (1,400 t/a)
• Non-ferrous metals (1,400 t/a)
• Plastics (7,600 t/a)

The remaining non-recyclable waste will be processed into sustainable and customizable high-quality solid recovered fuel (SRF 91,000 t/a). This fuel can be used by Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) such as:

1. Cement
2. Lime
3. Steel
4. Glass industry

The use of SRF as an alternative fuel will help reduce GHG emissions and decrease the EU's fossil energy import dependence.

Specifications for SRF

To use SRF as a fully-fledged fossil fuel substitute, precise and specific specifications must be met. An adjustable waste feed system, implementing five different types of waste, enables control over the characteristics of the SRF from the outset, depending on later application.

Process Lines and Quality Control

A more specific separation of the input streams into four different SRF process lines will be implemented to:

a) Increase recycling rates of each stream
b) Guarantee constant quality of the four produced SRFs

Monitoring and Technology

The entire production process is controlled by an AI-based real-time monitoring and process management system, allowing for quick adjustments. This requires the additional use of sensor technology such as:

• Near-Infrared cameras
• Moisture sensors
• XRF (X-ray fluorescence)
• Belt scales

Contribution to Circular Economy

The waste treatment process described in this project will contribute significantly to the circular economy, as the entire amount of incoming waste will be either recycled or processed into products for thermal recovery (zero waste).