The Netherlands – Dutch automotive recycling organisation Auto Recycling Nederland (ARN) has announced that it will be the first to use the new smelter installation that recycling technology and smelting specialist, Ensartech, recently added to its location in Delfzijl. According to ARN, the collaboration will make ‘a meaningful contribution’ towards its aim of driving the country’s car recycling rate towards 95%.
The new smelter, opened on 15 October, uses new high-temperature recycling technology. The process converts waste streams that are highly polluted or otherwise very difficult to treat into various types of energy, while simultaneously ensuring clean slag production. Boasting an initial smelting capacity of 25 000 tonnes per year, the technology ‘can be scaled modularly to much larger capacities’, Ensartech states.
Extensive testing by the two new partners has shown that the new technology provides a suitable application for the mineral fraction derived from shredder waste. ‘Due to the melting process, the organic materials, which are quite tricky to remove otherwise, are separated from the minerals. What remains is basalt, which may be used as a construction material,’ ARN comments.
Compared with other processing methods, this new approach produces 10 times less by-product residue. ARN claimed this resulted in ‘minimal pollution’ and suggested this could be eliminated completely. The organisation said recycling rates could reach 85% in terms of material recycling and a further 10% through thermal processing.
Ensartech CEO Martin Ooms has said the company was happy to have ‘market pioneer’ ARN as its first customer. ‘The objective of a 95% recycling rate may be extremely high, but we are more than willing to help support this mission.’ The company is already drawing up plans to build 10 to 15 similar installations across Europe.
After agreeing to continue working together and conduct additional tests, the partners signed a processing contract on 24 October.
For more information, visit: www.arn.nl
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