Definition of the project

Recently, the Consorci has promoted a series of actions financed by Generalitat de Catalunya which have led to the creation of the new Centre Integral de Valorització de Residus del Maresme (Maresme Integrated Centre for Waste Recovery). This is a facility of reference and makes the Maresme area a leader in waste management.</p> <p>In fact, however, this is part of the third generation of facilities managed by the Consorci:

First Generation: 1985

Due to the closure of the landfill in the city of Mataró in the 80’s, the city council was faced with the need to provide some alternative treatment system in order to solve the need to manage municipal waste.

This is how Mataró became the head of the Consorci per al Tractament de Residus Sòlids Urbans del Maresme, which grouped together, in its first stage, 17 towns of the Maresme area plus the Diputació de Barcelona.

Technically, the chosen solution was the implementation of a Planta de Reciclatge i Compostatge (Recycling and Composting Plant), which was then a pioneering type of facility. The objective of the plant was to select the recoverable subproducts and to compost organic matter in order to market it as organic fertilizer –compost–.

Second Generation: 1994

At the same time, the Planta de Reciclatge i Compostatge started working, there was a period of strong economic growth, so that the generation of waste in the area increased 5% yearly between 1985 and 1990.

These circumstances, together with the legislation and environmental awareness, contributed to the fact that most of the remaining towns in the Maresme area, as well as the Consell Comarcal del Maresme, applied for membership of the Consorci, which now was formed by 27 towns, plus the Diputació de Barcelona and the Consell Comarcal del Maresme.

This increase forced the enlargement of the plant’s capacity and, at the same time, the solution of the operation issues encountered up to that moment.

This is when the need to enable the energy recovery of the combustible fraction sent to the landfill up to then became obvious, and, therefore, the need to build the new Waste to Energy Plant.

The combination of the existing Planta de Reciclatge i Compostatge, plus the newly built Planta Incineradora was called Centre Integral de Valorització de Residus del Maresme (Maresme Integrated Centre for Wast Recovery) opened on November 12, 1994.

Third Generation: 2010

The new Centre Integral de Valorització de Residus del Maresme is framed within the Pla territorial sectorial d’infraestructures de gestió de residus municipals (Land sectorial plan of infrastructures for the management of municipal waste), approved by the decree Decret 16/2010, of February 16, of Generalitat de Catalunya.

The new Centre includes different facilities for waste treatment: a MBT plant for the mixed waste fraction (mixed waste still containing recoverable materials), a treatment line for bulky waste (sofas, furniture, etc.), transfer stations of the different fractions collected separately (organic matter, glass, packaging, and paper and cardboard), and the already existing facility of energy recovery with improvements. The Centre, therefore, ensures the maximum reclamation and recovery of the municipal waste in the Maresme area.

The concessionary

The concessionary for the operation of the Centre Integral de Valorització de Residus del Maresme is the company TEM (Tractaments Ecològics del Maresme).

This society was entrusted with the project, the construction and the operation of the new Centre for a period of 15 years on May 18, 2007, through the “Concurs de concessió d’obra pública per a l’ampliació, adequació i explotació del Centre Integral de Valorització de Residus del Maresme” (Bid for the concession of the public work of enlargement, improvement and operation of the Integrated Centre for Waste Recovery in the Maresme area).

The distribution of the company shares is as follows:

0

Valoriza Servicios Medioambientales

0

Veolia Proprete

0

Suris S.L.

It is the main objective of the company to develop the management of the Centre with total transparency for the Consorci, the environmental authorities and the population in general.
The work of the staff of almost 100 people covers every aspect necessary to ensure reliable quality management of the Centre.

UTE TEM is an Associated company of AEVERSU (Spanish Waste Management Companies Assotiation)

Technical Information

General details

Size of building
Total power
Concessionary company
Concession time period
Concession start date

30,000 m2
8,600 kW
UTE TEM (Tractaments Ecològics del Maresme)
15 years
01/01/2010

MBT Plant

Capacity
Operation days
Operation hours
Number of shifts
Maximum hourly capacity
Material recovery efficiency (paper, glass, metal, plastic, etc.)
Recovered organic matter (MOR)
Maximum combustible waste

190,000 t/year
249 days/year
15 hours/day on weekdays
2
30 t/h
8,5% input
40% input
55% input

Waste-to-Energy plant

Combustible waste PCI estimate
Contract treatment capacity
Number of lines
Combustion system
Unit thermal capacity
Unit mechanical capacity (PCI 2,800 kcal/kg)
Unit steam generation ratio

2.800 Kcal/kg
140.000 t/año
2
Reverse-acting grate
24.000.000 kcal/h
8,57 t/h
30,2 t/h

Steam pressure
Boiler
Superheater
Turbine

67 bar
62,5 bar
61 bar

Steam temperature
Boiler
Superheater
Turbine

283ºC
385ºC
380ºC

Gas treatment system

NOx reduction SNCR (Selective Non Catalytic Reduction) type with urea in combustion chamber
Semi-dry absorber
Dry contact reactor
Active carbon injection
Fabric filters
NOx reduction SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) type with ammonia

Condensation type
Generation power
Energy production
Energy self-consumption
Electricity sold
Energy generation ratio

Air-cooled condensers
13,55 MW (11,25 MW+2,3 MW)
115.000 MWh/año
30.000 MWh/año
85.000 MWh/año
820 kWh/t RSU

Quality and environment

Download our quality and environment statement

The company has the most demanding quality and environment certificates

IQNetES-2018-0092_2021-09-17
IQNetES-2021-0044_2021-12-21
IQNetES-0213-2018_2021-09-17
GA-2018-0092_ES_2021-09-17
GE-2021-0044_ES_2021-12-21
ER-0213-2018_ES_2021-09-17

Results of the project

Territorial cooperation

Following the frame agreement signed on May 25, 2006, among the Agència de Residus de Catalunya (ARC), the Consorci per a la Gestió dels Residus del Vallès Oriental, and the Consorci per al Tractament de RSU del Maresme; the tons of FORM (biowaste collected selectively) generated in Maresme will be treated in the biomethanization and composting plant in Granollers; and a part of the tons of mixed waste from Vallès Oriental will be treated in the MBT plant in Mataró.

Slag recovery

Regarding the solid waste resulting from the process of the Waste-to-Energy plant, the facilities is pioneering in the optimization of the comprehensive cycle of waste management, recovering the total amount of slag obtained at the end of the process.

Slag or bottom ashes is the main solid waste resulting from the incineration process –20% in weight of the furnace input–. The recovery of this subproduct –classified as non special waste– is made through an authorized waste management facility as established by the regulations Order 15th february 1996 of Generalitat de Catalunya.

The slag, once mechanically treated and duly matured at the authorized management facility, is recovered under the commercial name “escograva”, so it can be used as a subbase filling in civil works.

This way, slag stops being a waste from the comprehensive management system, remaining only 2-4% in weight, the flying ashes, which are the only real waste or refuse from the process.

Energy recovery

The Centre plays an important role in the energy generation and the fight against climate change, since it is one of the main generators of renewable energy in Catalunya, in addition to a referent due to the diversity of its origins:

Photovoltaic: by means of the biggest photovoltaic cover in the Maresme area; we obtain 400,000 kWh/year, which represent 160 tCO2/year saved, equivalent to planting 8,000 trees.

Anaerobic digestion (biogas): 13 milion kWh/year, which represent 5,000 tCO2/year saved, equivalent to planting 250,000 trees.

Waste-to-Energy plant: 80 milion kWh/year, equivalent to the domestic electric consumption of 80,000 people or 30,000 homes.

Tub Verd (Green Pipe): Heat distribution network that uses environmental infrastructures of the city of Mataró to prevent the use of fossil fuels, like fuel or natural gas. The Centre sends to this network 7.5 t/h of steam produced in the Waste-to-Energy plant. This is equivalent to 4 MW of heat.

Material recovery

Around 16,000 tons/year of materials are recovered in the MBT Plant, specifically in the mechanical pretreatment stage, to be reintroduced into the market as recycled products.

The materials recovered are: glass, paper/cardboard, plastic (PET, HDPE, LDPE and mixed plastic), tetra bricks, iron materials and aluminium.

          Material recovered                T/year
Paper/Cardboard               5.785
PET                 483
HDPE                 394
Mixed plastic               1.429
LDPE               2.715
Tetra bricks                  642
Glass                  665
Iron materials               3.589
Aluminium                  372

Thanks to the recovery of these materials, a great deal of natural resources and energy which would otherwise be used to produce these materials can be saved.