Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant in Gipuzkoa – In operation
On April 25, 2019, the first waste truck arrived at the Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) Plant of the Environmental Complex of Gipuzkoa Phase 1 (CMG1), located in Zubieta (Donostia-San Sebastián). With this milestone begins the start-up period of the MBT plant, with operation at full capacity expected by July.
The works of CMG1 commenced with the signing of the document verifying readiness for construction in May 2017, and the start of the operation at full capacity of all its facilities is expected in the fall of 2019, with the capacity to generate 160,000 MWh per year.
CMG1 includes the MBT plant, which will treat the residual waste fraction produced by households in Gipuzkoa, and the Energy Recovery Plant (ERP), which treat the waste from the bio-drying process (leaving the MBT plant), as well as waste assimilable to commercial industrial and institutional waste (RICIA), other waste from recycling, composting and treatment plants for bio-waste and dry sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).
The MBT plant has a total capacity of 162,000 t of waste and will recover between 8% and 10% of the recyclable materials that arrive mixed (paper-cardboard, plastic containers, ferrous metals, and non-ferrous metals). This will increase the recycling rate of Gipuzkoa to over 60%, at the same level as the most advanced countries in Europe. The bio-drying plant will reduce the weight (approximately 25%) and volume of waste, improving the efficiency of the energy production of the recovery plant.
CMG1 is one of the infrastructures included in the Contract for “Owner’s Engineering Technical Assistance” that IDOM has been providing GHK since 2015, to ensure the quality, deadline and budget of the construction of the different infrastructures of Urban Waste Management contemplated in the Territorial Waste Sector Plan of Gipuzkoa.
