Stadler equips MRF in Spain

Spain-based FCC Medio Ambiente has worked with Germany-based Stadler to complete the renovation of its CITR (Centro Integral de Tratamiento) material recovery facility (MRF) and waste treatment plant in El Campello, Spain. FCC Medio Ambiente chose Stadler for the renovation “based on the long-standing relationship between the two companies,” states Stadler.

FCC Medio Ambiente, part of the FCC Group, has been managing the plant since April 2009. Stadler calls CITR “a large facility that manages extreme variations in waste input.” It serves 52 municipalities in the region.

“The size of the facility, the short time in which to complete the works, and the added complexity of having to carry out the refurbishment while the plant was in operation, were factors that drove our decision to choose Stadler,” says Javier Cerezo, technical manager of FCC Medio Ambiente.

Policarpo Caballero, Stadler project manager, says, “It has been a challenge for several reasons: the project was implemented in five different phases, and we have had to adjust to the existing infrastructure. In a new project, it is easier to fit everything in because you start from scratch. In this case, precision has been critical in installing our equipment without damaging the existing machines.”

Cerezo says, “The waste treatment sector in Spain has been in constant evolution for many years now, and it will continue to do so in order to address the challenge of the European objectives. With new technologies such as Stadler’s it is possible to extract more materials, with better quality, from the processed waste, as well as producing compost or alternative fuels.”

Over the course of three months, Stadler says it replaced technology that had become obsolete with “the latest generation equipment and leading brands in the waste treatment sector.”

The CITR has been refurbished to achieve “greater recovery of materials, the treatment of organic waste from separate collection and a more careful management of odor emissions. In addition, a facility such as the CITR has a key role to play in the circular economy,” says Cerezo.

The five phases of the project consisted of the installation of the new equipment in five areas of the facility: compost, refining, biomethanization, municipal solid waste (MSW) and selective organic collection. Stadler supplied and installed two trommels for screening closed bags and bottles of different from bulky waste after passing through a shredder.

The integration of a solid recovered fuel (SRF) production line for cement is another element of the refurbished plant. Says Cerezo, “This line incorporates, among other processes, a low-temperature drying stage to guarantee the required humidity. The plant has been fitted with the equipment needed to produce SRF practically to demand, as it is able to control parameters such as composition, granulometry and moisture content.”

“In short, the aim was to recycle more and better, reducing the environmental impact,” says Ana López of FCC Servicios Ciudadanos. “It was an automated plant with optical separators, but with old models that did not work properly. The plant’s technology had become obsolete and had reached the end of its useful life. New equipment with the latest technology was needed to achieve the desired byproduct treatment and recovery objectives.”

“Everything went very well, the work was completed on time, all thanks to our excellent fitters and good coordination with FCC Medio Ambiente,” Caballero says.

Cerezo adds, “The teams from both companies have been able to coordinate perfectly and adapt to the changes.” Of Stadler, he says, “Its experience in the design of waste treatment lines has been of enormous help in modernizing the CITR. I recommend Stadler for its seriousness, professionalism, the quality of its equipment and of the machinery installed, among other reasons. Without a doubt, Stadler has proven to be a reliable supplier of waste treatment plants.”