Stadler installs mechanical sorting plant in Ibiza

Stadler Anlagenbau GmbH, a Germany-based maker of sorting systems and equipment, has designed and installed a new 50,000-square-meter mechanical waste sorting plant that will serve the island of Ibiza.

According to a news release from Stadler, the facility was commissioned in December 2020 by UTE Giref, a temporary union of companies owned by FCC, Urbaser, Ferrovial Servicios and Herbusa. UTE Giref is charged with the planning, construction and management of the facilities for the Ibiza and Formentera Waste Management Plan.

“We put out to tender the supply of the equipment and we analyzed various proposals,” says Toni Roig, the new facility’s manager for UTE Giref. “Stadler, a company with a prestigious reputation in the design, supply and installation of equipment we had already worked with, submitted the best proposal—both technically and economically—with a solution that met our requirements.”

Sustainable criteria have guided the design and construction of the facility, which is located in Ca na Putxa, near the island’s landfill site. According to Stadler, water obtained by a process of osmosis from landfill leachate was used to mix the concrete. The plant’s air purifying system uses a biofilter for odor elimination. The installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofing of the 30,000-square-meter covered area is planned.

Stadler reports that the sorting plant consists of three automated lines. Two twinned lines are used to sort urban solid waste and light packaging on separate shifts. Stadler says a third, independent line is dedicated to organic waste from segregated collection and uses the latest sorting technologies for biological treatment processes.

“The process uses the latest technology to increase recovery rates and sort the majority of the recyclable materials,” says Luis Sánchez, Stadler operations director in Spain.

The facility is designed to process up to 120,000 tons of urban solid waste per year, 6,000 tons of packaging per year and 20,000 tons of organic waste from segregated collection per year.

The facility aims to comply with European waste treatment regulations and strives to be a model for sustainable operation and for raising public awareness. The complex includes a conference room with interpretation facilities to host guided visits and outreach activities.

“Stadler has supported us and provided specialist advice throughout the plant startup process. This has enabled us to achieve optimal waste treatment ratios in record time,” Roig says.

Sorting technologies

Stadler

According to Stadler, the equipment maker’s facilities feature innovative sorting technologies that help to increase the sustainability of the process, reduce the need for landfills and foster a circular economy. In the Ca na Putxa plant, after sorting and bag opening, waste can be fed into the screening process, which uses trommels to separate fractions that are mostly organic from those that have a high content of packaging and recyclables. The organic material is then refined on two lines to obtain maximum quality compost and biostabilized waste through a biological treatment process.

Stadler reports that the other materials are processed through ballistic separators. Depending on their rigidity, they are fed into the different optical sorting and ferrous and nonferrous sorting chutes. Having gone through quality control, the sorted materials are stored in automated bunkers for baling at a later stage. Stadler says the output at the end of the process consists of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), cartons, polycarbonate (PC), organic film, iron, aluminum fractions and waste.

“We are very happy we chose Stadler to supply the equipment,” Roig concludes. “They have been extremely professional from the very beginning and have overcome all the challenges that come from being on an island location. The COVID-19 global pandemic hit as we were in the midst of the installation process. Even so, they rigorously complied with all the safety protocols, both when the installation work resumed and when they sent their staff as soon as it was possible. This enabled us to achieve all the project’s objectives in spite of the difficulties.”