Disposed electric equipment in the waste contains a high density of precious metals that is often referred to as “urban mining” and the recovery of which from EfW has remained an aim around the world. Kobelco Eco-Solutions, Co., Ltd. (KES) has conducted research into the recovery of precious metal resources contained in residual waste in collaboration with Sagamihara City, Japan.
KES confirmed that gold and silver can be recovered from the GMT facility constructed by us, and reported the result to Sagamihara City on June 15, 2022. The GMT gasifies the residual waste by the fluidized sand at temperatures between 500 and 550 ° C, and the precious metals can be efficiently recovered in a highly concentrated condition from the sand that remains at the bottom of a fluidized bed furnace. The precious metals recovered from the sand bed in 2021 are as follows; -
Our GMT has the following features in addition to the recovery of precious metals.
①High Power Generation Efficiency
・Less corrosive gas emissions such as HCl & SOx
・Less flue gas volume due to limited air injection
・Low parasitic load as most equipment is static
②Recyclable By-Products
・Dry and clean non-ferrous metal resources
・Vitrified Material (safe aggregate which meets the Japanese Industrial Standards and is classed as a product), instead of incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Reduced ash generation from the facility
③Wide Range of Acceptable Waste
・High Caloric Value (CV) waste: up to 16MJ/kg (design approx.; 10-16MJ/kg)
・Feedstocks:Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) / Commercial & Industrial (C&I) / Dug-out waste from landfill sites / Wastewater sludge / IBA
④Low Carbon Footprint
・No auxiliary fuel used for melting dust and ash.
⑤Highly safe system
・No unburned residual waste retained in the process, which leads to reduced time for stop and restart in an emergency.
Under the company philosophy "Keep the Earth Sky-blue," we are engaged in residual waste treatment/recovery, water treatment, and chemical / food machinery-related businesses to realize our group's vision: "To support a future society that lives in harmony with the earth”. KES is committed to contribute to the realization of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
Mr. Kentaro Motomura, Mayor of Sagamihara City (left)
and Mr. Takao Ohama, Former President of KES
＜Outline of Sagamihara City Minami Incineration Plant＞
Capacity：525 t/day（175 t/24h × 3 lines）
Electricity：10,000kW
Completion：March 2010
■URL（Waste Treatment）
https://www.kobelco-eco.co.jp/english/product/waste_treatment/
Contact: Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co.,Ltd., London Office
