New green energy from ReFuel
The ReFuel plant technology implements systems to transform the waste resulting from the separate collection of packaging - mainly paper and mixed non-recyclable plastics - into green energy, which can be used, in particular, by cement works and power stations in Italy and abroad.
A high-tech plant
ReFuel implements the latest technology resulting from many years of experience in various plants across Europe. The Silvano D’Orba site is strategically located in relation to the other plants of the ReLife Recycling division.
ReFuel produces Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) by processing residual waste from the recycling industry to facilitate recovery and minimise disposal or incineration.
The waste stream coming from the Recycling platforms and the Paper Mill division that cannot be recovered is processed by ReFuel to minimise landfill disposal and promote recovery.
Recovery and sustainability are facts
tonnes of authorised waste a year treated using in cold processes upon reception
tonnes of maximum permitted daily processed waste
Relife Recycling
ReFuel is a company of the ReLife S.p.A. Recycling Division.
ReLife is committed to turning waste into value.
End-of-waste is a concept towards which all modern countries are striving. The goal is to reuse material many times, in a virtuous circle of recovery, reuse and sustainable growth that generates savings for companies and spawns new “green job”s.
Waste becomes a resource, a tool for creating value for people, customers and the environment.
ReLife achieves industrial integration through a network of facilities operating within four production units – Recycling, Paper Mill, Paper Packaging and Plastic Packaging – where the materials are sorted, processed for recycling and transformed into new consumer goods.
The activities of ReLife are diversified. Almost 1,000,000 tonnes of solid municipal and special non-hazardous waste are recovered every year, consisting mainly of paper and cardboard, plastic and polymeric polymers, beverage cartons, aluminium, ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, glass, wood and other materials (biomass, WEEE and bulky waste, construction waste).
The Recycling Division collects, transports, sorts and reclaims recoverable materials in central and northern Italy. Manufacturing process waste undergoes further reclaiming processes to eliminate any residual chlorine and prevent the consequent formation of dioxin. The treated waste is transformed in the ReFuel facility into secondary solid fuel (SSF) replacing significant amounts of coal in cement works in Italy and Europe, which is all the more important considering that this industry is under particular scrutiny for its CO2 production.
The waste of your waste becomes energy for new production cycles
Support the full cycle of the Circular Economy to eliminate landfill disposal.
Fully finalise the production cycle recovery and recycling to offer ZERO IMPACT CIRCULAR CERTIFICATION to all your customers.
Turn the waste of your waste into a PRODUCT that can be RECOVERED AS ENERGY in further production cycles.
High-tech infrastructure for the circular economy
Environmental criteria
SRF produced in accordance with the law
The production of SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) also known as SSF (Solid Secondary Fuel) complies with the specific criteria established by the Italian Decree of the Minister of the Environment No. 22 dated 14 February 2013 entitled “Regulation governing end-of-waste status to determine types of Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), pursuant to article 184-ter, paragraph 2 of Legislative Decree No. 152/06”.
SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) is defined as a solid fuel produced from waste that complies with the classification and specification characteristics identified in Technical Standard UNI CEN/TS 15359 as amended and integrated. Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006 Article 183(1)(cc)
From a technical point of view, SRF is regulated at European and national levels by a set of standards, including UNI EN 15359:2011 “Solid recovered fuels – Specifications and classes”.
The classification parameters
The standard establishes an SRF classification system, based mainly on three parameters:
Net calorific value (NCV) (economic parameter)
Chlorine content (technical parameter)
Mercury content (environmental parameter)
Classes of value
Five classes of values are identified for each parameter. Each SRF is then classified according to the value of each of the three parameters. The incoming waste must be non-hazardous special waste having a polymeric matrix, with no organic content and thus odour-free.
The production of SRF is used for generating electrical or thermal energy in cement works and/or thermoelectric power plants as defined and having the characteristics defined in Article 3, paragraph 1(b) and (c) of the Italian Decree of the Minister of the Environment No. 22 dated 14 February 2013.
From pulper scrap to SRF
The ReFuel project is designed to maximise recycling and recovery, through the transformation of residue having a high calorific value, subtracting the recyclable fractions (metals and plastics) and substantially eliminating fractions containing metals, chlorine or moisture to make SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) for incineration or co-incineration.
The waste entering the ReFuel plant is pulper waste from Italian paper mills, plastic waste from plastic product production, waste from construction and demolition activities, recoverable waste from paper and cardboard and plastic sorting plants, other homogeneous dry batches of non-hazardous industrial waste, etc..
This waste (which is free from putrescent substances and has a moisture content to avoid the production of noxious odours) is mechanically treated with cold processes to recover the dry fractions.
Modular activity on demand
Only production of high-quality SRF.
Production of SRF and plastic polymers: production of special polymers with high-quality recovery through in-process separation of polymers
Single polymer production
Video
System operation
Producing with top-level safety for people and the environment
The transformation process from waste to SRF takes place in a controlled manner to avoid the formation of pollutants harmful to humans and the environment.
ReFuel implemented from the earliest stages of plant design, automatic systems for monitoring and measuring various interactions with the environment to ensure controlled management of impact generated by the activities and to ensure high workplace safety standards.
Zero impact on the surrounding environment
Specific focus is dedicated to compliance with environmental and safety regulations seen as the starting point for all management and monitoring activities, in addition to using the best available technologies.
Material chopping, separating and pressing operations are cold processes. There is no water consumption or wastewater discharge. Atmospheric emissions are low.
An odour impact study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Genoa, which consisted in the preparation of a constant monitoring model for assessing the odour impact in the area surrounding the plant.
Functional sections
The main stages of the production process can be grouped into the following functional sections:
1.Reception section for controlling of incoming waste and paperwork
2.Transfer and pre-selection section
3.Waste dosing and/or coarse pre-shredding section
4.Screening and aeraulic separation section
5.Separation section with optical readers (NIR)
6.Final shredding-refining section
7.Quality control section:
8.Produced SRF packaging section
9.Storage section
Continual monitoring
The following methods are used by ReFuel s.r.l. for controlling, analysing, sampling and classifying the material:
sample chemical-physical analysis
produced SRF analysis
At the service of an increasingly carbon-free world
The ReFuel plant selects the dry fractions according to BAT – Best Available Technology – principles to prepare end-of-waste and/or SRF for use in cement plants, with the strategic objective of replacing the use of coal and promoting the reduction of CO2 in higher impact production processes.
The material included in UNI EN 15359 classification is sent for use in Italian and international plants, including cement works and thermoelectric power stations.
Contact us
SP172, 67, 15060
Silvano D'orba (AL)
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