Suez to build nonferrous metals recovery plant in Belgium

France-based Suez has announced it is building a larger plant to undertake a process to recover nonferrous metals from bottom ash produced from waste-to-energy (WTE) activities. The company describes a pilot plant in Ghent, Belgium, as the first facility in Europe to recover nonferrous metals in this way.

Bottom ash is residue linked to combustion and the WTE process. It can be used for roads or runways or to produce stackable building blocks mixed with cement.

Referring to the facility’s “internally developed Valomet process,” Suez states it is “going even further by recovering fine nonferrous metal particles of between 0 and 20 millimeters (three-quarters of an inch) in size from bottom ash.

The pilot project began in Ghent in November 2015. Metal concentrates from bottom ash were processed and separated. Over a one-year trial period, Suez indicates it extracted around 1,300 metric tons of fine metal particles, which were then sold to metal foundries and refineries. The pilot project recovered aluminum, copper, lead and zinc.

As of early 2018, Suez has started building a larger plant at the port of Ghent. The new site is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2018. Suez indicates its goal for the new plant is for it “to multiply the production capacity of the pilot site 10-fold and to process up to 12,000 metric tons per year by 2019.” The materials processed will come from Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Poland and possibly other European countries.

According to Suez, the project has received strategic ecological support from the Flemish government in Belgium.

"I would like to thank the Flemish government for supporting this innovative European project,” says Jean-Marc Boursier, Suez senior executive vice president in charge of recycling and recovery activity in Europe. “This innovation marks a new stage in the circular economy, in which we give final waste a second life and protect natural resources.”

Comments Philippe Muyters, Flemish Minister of Employment, the Economy, Innovation and Sport, “The Flemish government has invested €1 million ($1.2 million) to implement the new plant with a ‘zero waste target’ in Ghent. The facility will ensure a territorial anchorage of Suez’ activities in Ghent, very good news for the economy and employment in the area. Flemish support also encourages the international Group Suez to invest in the circular economy in Flanders.”