Valorsul, a leading company in the environmental services sector, is responsible for the treatment of around 850,000 tons of municipal waste generated annually in 19 municipalities in Greater Lisbon and the Western Region (Região do Oeste). The company chose STADLER for the important improvement and optimization of the sorting plant at Centro de Triagem do Oeste, one of Valorsul’s two processing plants. The aim of this project was to increase the throughput of the system while maintaining a consistently high degree of purity of the output material and simplifying the operating processes. António Afonso, Recycling Plant Manager at Valorsul, explains: “We chose STADLER because of the quality and attention to detail of the project studies presented. In addition, we were convinced of the quality of the machines and their assembly during visits to various plants developed by STADLER.”
New system offers high throughput with a high degree of purity of the output material
At the beginning of the process, the delivered waste is fed into a sorting cabin, where bulky material is sorted out, and a bag ripper. They then pass through two STADLER STT2000 ballistic separators, which sort out flexible and 3D material. The recovery of film from the flexible output material was increased by using a new suction system and the STT2000 ballistic separators with forced ventilation. Metals are extracted from the 3D fraction obtained by ballistic separation using magnetic and eddy current separators and sorted into ferrous and non-ferrous metals, while optical sorters recover PET bottles, HDPE, beverage cartons and plastic mixtures. An optical sorter already present in the original system takes over the automatic quality control of the PET, HDPE and beverage carton fractions.
“In order to increase the capacity of our operation while maintaining high output quality, we have replaced the one ballistic separator of the original plant with two STT2000 ballistic separators and installed new optical sorters with greater capacity and the latest technology. We have also integrated two new sorting cabins into the process to simplify manual sorting and quality control,” says Carlos Manchado Atienza, International Sales Director at STADLER.
Designed for easier operation
Simplifying the operation of the system was another important requirement for Valorsul. To this end, STADLER designed the system layout so that all critical components were easily accessible. The pressing of bales from the recovered product was also simplified by integrating the metal press into the support structure built by STADLER. In this way, the bales fall directly into an open container. Automatic bunkers also make storage easier. This approach significantly simplifies the extraction of high-quality output material.
Detailed analysis and careful preparation lead to success
The new design had to be adapted to the feeding and pressing area of the original system, as this was retained: “To ensure seamless integration into the existing structures and systems, we collected as many drawings and documents as possible relating to the original system,” explains Óscar Horcajada Torres. “The system modeling using a 3D scanner was also very important here. In addition, the excellent communication with the Valorsul team was crucial to the success of the project.”
António Afonso adds: “The great commitment and willingness to cooperate of the STADLER team during the development phase, which did everything to meet Valorsul’s requirements, must be particularly emphasized here. The team impressed with its wealth of experience, know-how and expertise, so that the realization of this challenging project was crowned with success. The new machines were perfectly integrated into the existing system and the result was a well-structured, uninterrupted sorting line with no operational restrictions and easy access to all machines and transport routes.”
Delivery in record time thanks to careful planning, flexibility and efficient communication
The project was a particular challenge in that the original plant had to be dismantled with the utmost care in order to preserve the existing machines, which were also to be used in the new construction. STADLER’s work was also under severe time pressure, as the storage space for the waste Valorsul continued to collect and deliver was limited. “Careful planning and good preparation by the installation team were just as important here as good coordination with the Valorsul team,” says Óscar Horcajada Torres.
STADLER managed the dismantling of the existing system and the installation of the new system in a record time of seven weeks. To Valorsul’s great satisfaction, the new plant was put into operation in November 2023: “During the installation phase, the STADLER team demonstrated a high level of experience and commitment as well as compliance with safety regulations, so that the project could be implemented safely, on time and without delay,” summarizes António Afonso.
Cover photo: Amadeu Carvalho, António Afonso, Rafael Isidoro on the Valorsul site (Photo: Stadler)
