Test plant starts

Research shows: scrap can be turned into energy

LR Leonhard Schneemann, project manager Christian Wartha and Managing Director Marcus Keding from Forschung Burgenland.(Bild: Christian schulter)

Test plant for the thermochemical processing of previously unusable waste materials put into operation in Pinkafeld.

The principle is simple and not new: however, the "Waste2Material" research project in Burgenland has now succeeded in applying the pyrolysis process in such a way that previously non-recyclable waste materials, such as electronic waste, plastic and agricultural waste, can be optimally recycled. Research Burgenland and the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with the company Sonnenerde and the UDB, worked on this for a total of five years before the test plant for thermochemical waste pre-treatment could be put into operation.

This process heats the material to around 600 degrees Celsius and the organic components are decomposed. The resulting pyrolysis gas is incinerated and the resulting energy is recovered.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

The solid residue can be recycled.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

1.9 million euros were invested in the project 
The 1.9 million euro project was financed with EU funds and from the state of Burgenland. "We specifically invest in such forward-looking projects. The exchange between business, research and teaching is beneficial for everyone," explains Provincial Councillor Leonhard Schneemann. Applied research is also important in order to increase the research quota. However, it will be some time before the process can be put to commercial use. After all, if all the currently non-recyclable waste materials that accumulate in Burgenland were to be recycled using thermochemical processing, "you would need six such plants with an output of 300 kilograms per hour," explains project manager Christian Wartha.

Landfill volumes and CO2 emissions are reduced
The research plant in Pinkafeld is already attracting a great deal of interest, as the process reduces landfill volumes and CO2 emissions. "The long-term goal is to analyze waste streams in a comprehensive context and find joint and sustainable solutions," emphasizes Marcus Keding, Managing Director of Forschung Burgenland.