EEW starts trial of first pre-sorting facility
- EEW began hot commissioning of its first pre-sorting facility for mixed waste at Delfzijl (Netherlands) shortly after Easter.
- The pilot uses mechanical processing plus sensor-based near-infrared sorting to remove different plastic fractions before thermal treatment.
- Objective is to generate feedstock for mechanical and chemical recycling, improve emissions balance, and assess suitability for group-wide scaling.
- Implementation and scaling depend on functioning markets and regulatory incentives (e.g. recycled-content quotas); Delfzijl currently offers favorable conditions and also hosts pilot plants for CO2 capture and NOx recycling.
Commissioning
Shortly after Easter, EEW started hot commissioning of its first pre-sorting facility for mixed waste at the Delfzijl site in the Netherlands; the installation is a pilot and the first of its kind within the EEW Group.
Objective
The facility aims to extract plastic fractions from mixed waste ahead of thermal treatment to lower the share of fossil-based components and to produce material streams suitable for mechanical and chemical recycling.
Technology
The plant combines mechanical processing with sensor-based sorting, notably near-infrared (NIR) technology, to identify and separate different plastic fractions for downstream recycling processes.
Assessment and conditions for scaling
The pilot will generate operational experience to evaluate potential roll-out to other sites; wider implementation depends on functioning markets for recovered plastics and regulatory incentives such as recycled-content requirements, with Delfzijl offering favourable local conditions and also hosting pilot plants for CO₂ capture and NOx recycling.
Source: EEW Energy from Waste