FAQ’s 33 Frequently Asked Questions
about the Thermowaste Zero Waste solution
English. Version 6.1
Thermowaste, S.L. C/D’Enric Prat de la Riba, 77 08401 Granollers Barcelona – SPAIN www.thermowaste.com
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Frequently Asked Questions
What type of waste can the Thermowaste system process?
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) without the need for
prior classification. It can also process certain
industrial waste and hospital waste.
Municipal Solid Waste without classification
Can the system process waste of any size?
The system is prepared to process municipal waste,
garbage bags, plastic or glass containers, cardboard
boxes, etc. However, it incorporates a gauge control to
prevent certain bulky can obstruct the transport lines
to the reactor ZW-19, such as a large piece of furniture
or a washing machine.
Does the system classify waste?
ZW-19 reactors do not sort waste. They simply
process the waste to physically transform it. This
allows the classification that will be carried out later to
obtain an efficiency of 100%. However, Thermowaste
offers a complete solution that incorporates the
transformation of waste with reactors and then
classification.
What does it mean to transform the waste physically?
It means adapting the physical form to facilitate the
classification. With the Zero Waste process, all plastic
bags and cardboard packaging disappear, which
represent a major impediment during mechanical or
manual sorting. All food waste, paper, cardboard,
diapers, gardening waste and Treta-pack containers
are shredded and converted into a single homogenous
granular biomass fraction. The waste already
processed with the Thermowaste reactor, no longer
smells bad, is not sticky, does not incorporate
pathogens, does not disgust and has reduced its
volume up to 80%.
Waste already processed by the TW-ZW19 system and before its classification.
What does it mean that waste reduces its volume?
It means that they occupy much less space. If one ton
of waste is introduced into the ZW-19 reactor, one ton
of clean materials is obtained at the end of the process,
but it can occupy up to 80% less volume. This allows to
simplify and reduce the investment in the classification
plant.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work in a Thermowaste Zero Waste plant?
The Thermowaste solution is a completely automated
process, to avoid the human factor error and the
manual handling of the waste. In this sense, the
Thermowaste plants employ few personnel and their
main dedication consists in the supervision and
maintenance of the facilities.
However, there is an alternative possibility, depending
on each country and the cost of labor. It is completely
possible to classify manually the clean materials
obtained from the Thermowaste system, in perfect
conditions of solubility since they have been sterilized.
How long does the process take?
The Thermowaste system is the fastest in the
world to clean and transform garbage into useful
materials. It is a system that operates continuously, that
is, garbage constantly enters the system and clean
materials constantly come out. The system works 24
hours a day without stopping.
What is the process capacity of each TW-ZW19 reactor?
Each TW-ZW19 reactor processes about 5,000 kg / h
of garbage, which means 40,000 tons per year,
considering about 8,000 operating hours. This is,
approximately, the garbage produced by a population
of 100,000 inhabitants.
To process more waste, do you have larger equipment?
No, they simply must incorporate more processing
lines working in parallel.
We do not manufacture larger equipment for the
following reasons:
• We would lose the modular capacity, which facilitates its transportation and installation in a short period of time to any part of the world.
• We would lose the functionality of easy relocation of the system.
• We would lose the ability to deliver the tested and certified equipment from the factory, which offers many guarantees and safety to our customers.
• As compact and smaller equipment, the spare parts are also smaller, more manageable, which minimizes operating costs.
Is the classification plant special?
Although the classification plant uses mostly
already existing and contrasted equipment of the
market, its configuration is different from that used in
conventional plants. This is so because the material to
be classified is also very different.
Does the plant require special infrastructures?
One of the most interesting advantages of the
Thermowaste Zero Waste solution is that it does not
require special infrastructures or complex civil works.
A plant of this type doesn’t need premises specially
adapted to this purpose. The plant can be located
close to the population, since it eliminates the smells of
garbage, but also in the middle of nowhere, in non-
industrialized areas, since it can be self-sustaining.
Can we take advantage of our existing classification plant?
Probably yes, although it would be necessary to carry
out a reengineering study to determine which
equipment and which processes can be used.
Thermowaste can develop this study.
What space does the system require?
Each ZW-19 reactor simply occupies the space of a
truck trailer. Depending on the size of the plant, the
number of reactors, the classification process and the
waste collection area, this space may vary. To have an
orientation, a plant with a capacity to process 600 tons
of waste per day would occupy only an approximate
area of 8,000 m2.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What materials are obtained after the classification?
The classification can be more exhaustive or less
exhaustive, depending on the demand of our costumer
and their possibilities of marketing or application of the
obtained materials. Below, we show some of the
fractions that can be obtained:
Granular biomass. Approx. 60% of the weight of the
recovered materials. Granulometry less than 15mm.
Power calorific around 3,000 Kcal / kg.
Film plastics, mainly packaging for snacks, made of
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene
(PE). Clean and dry.
Plastic Polystyrene (PS)
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. No liquids,
no plugs, no labels.
Other types of specific plastics, depending on the
configuration of the classification system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Artificial stones for garden decoration. Clean and dry.
Non-Ferrous Metals. Clean and dry.
Ferrous metals. Clean and dry.
Solid Recovered Fuel from waste. Clean and dry.
Granulometry less than 15 mm. Without chlorinated
plastics. Power calorific around 7,000 kcal / Kg. Double
the density of the conventional RDF.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the applications of the biomass obtained with this system?
The granular biomass is the fraction obtained in
greater proportion after classifying the waste with the
Thermowaste Zero Waste system. Therefore, it has
been a priority for our company to find viable
applications in the market that can respond to the
needs of each country. Some of the applications that
we already have tested are:
• Fuel for biomass boilers
• Organic prepared for anaerobic digesters
• Structuring and fertilizer for the soil
• Paper and cardboard manufacturing
• Thermal and acoustic insulation
• Ethanol production
• Manufacturing of low weight bricks
We currently have other research projects for the
development of other exclusive lines for the valuation
of this product in bulk.
Why is better the SRF obtained with the Thermowaste system?
The SRF has a high calorific value because it is mainly
made of plastics. The highest quality, usually
presented in crushed format (10 to 20 mm) and is
obtained from industrial waste, with a confetti
appearance and low density. The extraction of SRF
from domestic waste is complex and a low-quality fuel
is obtained (high content of chlorinated plastics and
non-combustible elements).
However, the SRF obtained by Thermowaste from
domestic waste exceeds the quality obtained from
industrial waste by conventional methods. It has a very
low content of non-combustible elements and
chlorinated plastics, and at the same time is
characterized by a higher density (more Kcal per m3),
since the plastics shrink during its process in the
reactor. It's like producing plastic pellets at the same
time.
Does the system generate emissions?
The ZW-19 reactors are hermetic equipment that has
no emissions. However, a source of energy is required
to produce the steam used in the process. The most
sustainable way is to use a small part of the granular
biomass generated in the process itself. The biomass
boiler used incorporates the specific emission control
elements to comply with current regulations, as any
other similar installation in the use of renewable fuels.
What happens with the small batteries?
Did you know that a pile of mercury can contaminate
600 thousand liters of water, an alkaline pollutes 167
thousand liters of water, while one of silver oxide, 14
thousand liters.?
Currently in many places these batteries end up
buried and uncontrolled in a landfill or destroyed in an
incinerator with a serious risk of emissions.
With Thermowaste the batteries are not destroyed,
they are recovered together with the metals and can
be classified to receive an adequate treatment.
What happens with glass?
The glass can be classified by color or can
be obtained in the form of sand, along with other inert
components, such as shells, ceramics, etc ... to create
a filling product in road construction.
What is the energy expenditure?
The Thermowaste system needs heat to generate
process steam and electricity for plant equipment,
conveyor belts, sorting machines, etc ...Thermowaste
offers an integral solution that uses a small part of the
biomass generated to produce the necessary heat.
The power consumption can be 50% of that of a
conventional waste sorting plant.
What are the advantages of having a clean waste processing facility?
The Thermowaste waste processing plants are
exemplary not only for their high performance but also
for their level of cleanliness. They are facilities that do
not smell bad and therefore, have no effect on the
environment. But the most interesting thing is that,
being clean facilities, the number of operational
incidents and maintenance costs are reduced very
considerably.
Thermowaste plants can be visited by students from
nearby schools, by government authorities, all without
danger, in a clean environment and without bad
smells.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of the ZW-19 system compared to waste incineration plants?
They are different technologies with very different
objectives. The main differences are:
Incineration Plants
Thermowaste ZW-19 system
• Its objective:
Destroy waste by burning it and produce energy • • Its objective:
Recover all materials and introduce them back to society
as by-products or fuel.
• It is not Circular Economy. o • It is the best suited solution for the Circular Economy.
• Danger of air pollution with the emission of dioxins and
furans with a carcinogenic effect. o • It is a system that does not burn garbage and therefore
does not generate pollution.
• It presents a high social rejection. o • It does not present social rejection.
• It has a strong impact on the Skyline. • • It has no impact on the Skyline.
• High investment o • Low Investment. Less than 50% of the cost of an
incinerator.
• High operating and maintenance costs. • • Low operating cost. Less than 50% of the cost of an
incinerator.
• Difficult to expand. • • Easy to expand. Modular system.
• Not portable. • • Modular and transportable system.
• The implantation time is high. • • The implantation time is short. Being a modular system, it
allows to activate its lines gradually, until reaching the
maximum degree of production.
What are the advantages of the ZW-19 system compared to Pyrolysis or Waste Gasification plants?
They are different technologies with very different
objectives. The main differences are:
Pyrolysis & Gasification Thermowaste ZW-19 solution
• Pyrolysis is a process of thermal degradation that
transforms waste into solid or liquid fuel. Gasification is
the variant that transforms it into synthesis gas.
• The Thermowaste solution is a process that
morphologically transforms the waste so that it can be
completely classified.
• Its objective is to transform waste into fuel, there are no
other alternatives.
• Its objective is to recover as many materials as possible
or produce fuel with some of these materials, preferably
those that are regenerable, in order to contribute to
sustainable development.
• It is a process that operates at high temperatures,
between 400-1000 ° C. This fact, already makes the
installation much more complex.
• It is a process that operates at a low temperature, below
150 ° C and technically it is much simpler. Les problems.
• It is not a sustainable solution for environmental effects
and does not conform to the Circular Economy model.
• It is the best suited solution for the Circular Economy
model, because it recovers all the materials contained in
the waste and gives them value on the market.
• It presents social rejection.
• It has no social rejection.
• It has a high implementation and maintenance cost. • It has a lower implantation and maintenance cost, in the
order of 20% -50% less.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of the TW system compared to conventional mechanical sorting plants?
Thermowaste ZW-19 technology should be
understood as a complement to conventional sorting
plants. It helps to multiply the performance of these
facilities and to obtain manipulatable materials that
have value in the market. The main differences are:
Conventional mechanical sorting plants
Thermowaste ZW-19 solution
• Classifies the waste in its original state. It involves odors,
dirt and pathogens throughout the facility.
• First, it transforms the waste at a morphological level and
then classifies it.
• The effectiveness is low, about the 30% on the product
entered.
• The efficiency is very high, close to 100% on the product
entered.
• It does not avoid the use of landfills.
• The system avoids the use of landfills.
• The facilities have very poor health conditions.
• The facilities are clean, without pathogens or bad odors.
• It does not completely avoid sending organic material to
the landfill.
• Completely avoid sending organic material to the landfill.
One of the priorities of the European Union.
• They take up a lot of space. • They occupy between 30-50% of the space of a
conventional mechanical classification plant.
• The cost / performance ratio is high. • The cost / performance ratio can be of the order of 50%
lower than that of a conventional classification plant.
Who designed the Thermowaste ZW-19 system?
The TW-19 system has been designed and patented
by the founding engineers of Thermowaste. This
technology is the result of many years of research.
Interestingly, the initial team was made up of
engineers from different sectors, automotive,
telecontrol, railway or chemical, who provided new
and pioneering ideas in the field of waste treatment, as
well as a higher level of demand.
Has the system been approved or tested by recognized experts?
Yes, Thermowaste technology has the support of
experts of recognized prestige in the field of waste
treatment. The founders of the company have received
recognition from public and private institutions in
Spain, such as the Chamber of Commerce of
Barcelona or the Higher Council for Scientific
Research, among others. All Thermowaste equipment
is delivered certified by the Ministry of Industry of
Spain, by the European Union and by an entity of
recognized international prestige such as the German
company TÜV Rheinland.
What guarantees do you offer us that the system will work as planned?
The guarantees we offer are not one, but several:
• Thermowaste equipment is delivered certified and tested in Barcelona - Spain.
• The client can see his equipment working before being transferred to his country.
• The equipment is delivered with a 10-year warranty, subject to contracting the official maintenance program Thermowaste.
Is the system delivered certified?
Yes. Currently it is delivered with three certifications:
• Manufacturing certificate from the Ministry of Industry of Spain.
• Manufactured and certified under ASME standards.
• Certificate C.E. (Equipment manufactured by the European Union).
• Certificate of Conformity and Functioning by SGS and TÜV Rheinland.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the delivery time?
The delivery period, as is normal in these
industrial projects, depends on the volume of the
order and the project conditions. However, as a guide
we can say that we have the capacity to manufacture
several Thermowaste reactors in parallel and that the
approximate construction time of a reactor requires
only 3 months. In any case, the delivery time is much
shorter than that used for other solutions.
Why is the system that most complies with the circular economy model?
The basis of the concept of circular economy is the use
of the materials that make up the garbage and
therefore, the minimization of the extraction of natural
resources. Without a doubt, the Thermowaste solution
is the one that allows to reuse more waste materials,
using the least resources.
Why is the system more in accordance with the directives of the European Union?
The European Union clearly establishes in its
directives priorities about the treatment to Municipal
Solid Waste. In this list of priorities, the indiscriminate
incineration of waste and the use of landfills are the
most unfavorable and least indicated. The recycling
and the use of the materials contained in the garbage
are postulated as the main priority and the way
forward for the coming years. Among these priorities
is the need to avoid sending organic material to
landfills, due to its great impact on the environment.
The Thermowaste technology not only completely
avoids the disposal of organic matter in the landfill, but
also allows the recovery of a greater number of
materials contained in the garbage.
Does Thermowaste only market Zero Waste technology?
No. Thermowaste also offers other proprietary and
specialized solutions in the field of waste treatment,
such as:
• Specialized dryers for organic waste (Production of flours for animal consumption from obsolete food products).
• Biomass burners and boilers, to produce heat, steam or electricity.
• Integral waste sorting plants, based on a manual, automatic or mixed concept.
What other services does Thermowaste offer?
We can help you in the development of a strategic
waste management plan with a more global vision:
• Consulting services for the development of regulations and legislation.
• Communication and social awareness programs.
• Plans for waste collection.
• Strategic plans for the location of treatment plants.
• Plans oriented to the production of sustainable energy.
• Development programs to obtain performance to materials recovered from garbage.
• Social programs for the occupation of people in classification works in conditions of solubility.
FINAL NOTES
Don´t hesitate to contact us for further information.
Specific questions about consumption are answered to
each project based on a specific study. As already
mentioned, these consumptions vary depending on the
characteristics of the waste and the installation.
Information about equipment prices is answered on
specific projects, once analyzed to the scope and
characteristics of the installation.
For any other question you can communicate directly
to the email [email protected] or to the
Country Manager of Thermowaste in your area.
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