Site Technical Visits

The organisers of the Florence 2012 World Waste Congress are pleased to give all participants the opportunity to visit waste treatment facilities within easy reach of the City in Tuscany.  The facilities are varied both in the treatment options they offer and in their dimensions.

The visits take place on Wednesday 19th September from 15.00 to 19.00, with pick-up and return to the Congress Center in Florence.  A bus with accompanying English speaking translator will be provided.  Participants are advised to wear casual clothes and sturdy footwear.

In order to participate in one of these visits please tick the relevant box in the online registration form.

The cost for each visit is € 50 +VAT (total € 60.50) per person.

Each visit requires a minimum 15 participants and is limited to a maximum of 40 participants.

Technical Visit A. Waste to Energy, Selection and Composting Plants

This visit takes us to the waste treatment facilities operated by Siena Ambiente SpA, within a 70 km range of Florence. These are the waste to energy plant and a selection and composting facility.

A.1

The Poggibonsi Waste to Energy plant was revamped in 2006 at a cost of € 30 million and treats approximately 70.000 tons of waste annually incinerating at an operating temperature of 950°C . The plant develops 8.4MW electricity for a total of 52.000 MW annually which represents 17% of the electricity needs of the Siena Province.

State of the art emissions – control facilities are installed ensuring emissions are contained within the legally permitted limits.

A.2

The Asciano composting and selection facility was built in 2002 and treats 65.000 ton annually of mixed waste, which is separated and selected, sending the non- recyclable fraction to the incinerator and a part to the landfill; sorting the source – separated dry fractions such as paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium and plastics for recycling; and composting the approximately 17.000 tons/annually of organic waste from source separated collection of kitchen and garden waste. The plant produces approximately 6.000 tons annually of high quality certified compost used (among others) by Chianti Classico wine growers.

Technical Visit B. Waste to Energy Plant

Our journey takes us across the Apennine mountains from Tuscany into neighbouring Emilia Romagna to the Waste to Energy facility at Granorolo near Bologna, of Hera SpA, one of Italy’s largest waste management companies.

The waste to energy plant produces annually 150GWtH of electricity and supplies circa 35.000 MWtH of heat to neighbouring houses and businesses, saving the equivalent of 37.000 TEP (equivalent tons of petrol) annually.

The plant incinerates at over 1.000°C treating mixed urban solid waste, industrial non – hazardous waste, and healthcare waste, for a total capacity of 600-700 tons daily ( circa 240.000 tons annually).

Technical Visit C. MBT, Composting, Landfill and Biogas Extraction

1. Mechanical and biological treatment of mixed waste, this part of the plant handles approximately 40.000 to 50.000 tons annually, recovering the  metallic  fractions.  The organic fraction is composted and used as daily cover for the landfill.
2. Composting. The plant treats 90.000 tons annually of source separate waste collected from kitchens and gardens from various Tuscany provinces.  It produces 16.000 tons of quality compost which is ceded to manufacturers of gardening and potting soils and to farmers for agricultural use.
3. Landfill. The landfill operation accepts only treated waste deriving from the Publiambiente SpA MBT plants of Montespertoli and Pistoia, and currently accepts 90.000 tons annually.  The landfill produces biogas which is used in a cogeneration plant, producing 4.000 MWh/year.