One year after the start up, our CEO Pier P. Cella gave us an evaluation of the Martinsburg plant, an efficient and working example of the real circular economy. Here two things have come together- the rising demand for green technologies on the part of governments and American public opinion and the needs of cement manufacturers to trduce the use of fossil fuels in their ovens, with a resulting reduction in the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
The first plant in the State to use the MBT technologies, and in particolar the Entsorga system of BIOLOGICAL MECHANICAL TREATMENT BEE with the H.E.Bio.T. (High Efficiency Biological System), the “Martinsburg case” is decidedly interesting both for the many people who were involved and for the complexity of the procedure that was necessary to bring about the successful completion of the project, both for the virtuous circle that was created with the cement manufacturers Argos Cement, for whom the alternative combustibile fuel, derived from the waste treatment, is destined.
Following a long phase of study and research, which began 15 years ago, to find a safer and more sustainable alternative to landfills, the plant was created thanks to a consistent project financing between Entsorga West Virginia in a joint venture with Apple Valley Waste Technologies, Inc. and Entsorga Italia as the technological promoter and provider. Officially opened at the beginning of 2019, in Martinsburg today about 80% of waste coming from Berkeley County is treated, transforming it into the CSS Prometheus, a high quality renewable combustibile fuel with a high heating factor, recognised by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as Non Hazardous Secondary Material. The CSS product fuels the oven of the cement manufacturer, the multinational American company Argos Cement,with whom Entsorga has signed a supply contract and which will soon be upgraded with our patented fuel line Pelican.
Thanks also to the use of the CSS coming from Martinsburg, today the cement manufacturing has reached excellent environmental standards.
“In synthesis, today the American experience represents not only for Entsorga but also for the American market in general, a best practice that is overtaking even our initial expectations”, our CEO concluded in his report. The quality of the combustibile fuel obtaineed is higher and more abundant than we had expected, which has allowed us to recover our investment ahead of time. But more importantly, the huge request for SRF on the East Coast has already led to the signing of an agreement for the construction of 5 more MBT plants, one of which has already been authorized to produce 350.000 tpa of CSS Prometheus. Everything is in place for the MBT treatments to become the reference technology on the American market for the production of alternative combustibile fuel from RSU”.
During this last year, more than 300 delegations have visited the plant,demonstrating the interest in the new technology in Super Bat, Super Bat, the States, but one that in Europe has already developed a treatment capacity of more than 9.000.000 tons.