Cleanaway teams up with InBulk Technologies to develop new waste management system in face of new regulations

Pending EU legislation is set to alter the waste management industry in terms of the acceptable materials that will be allowed to go to landfill. The latest change will be the implementation of the landfill directive waste acceptance criteria (WAC), which is due to become law across EU states by 16th of July 2005.


In simple terms, the new directive will prevent many companies from sending various waste materials to landfill sites that are currently being disposed of in this way.

The new legislation looks at all kinds of wastes from industrial processes, whether hazardous or non hazardous. The legislation scrutinises how companies examine and classify waste materials, also whether or not the materials are likely to change in their composition either before or after being put to landfill.

Other factors that are taken into account are leaching limit values, new parameters on reactive compounds and elements and also new limits on pH and acid neutralisation capacity.

As with all waste management companies in the EU, Cleanaway were required to re-examine their landfill operations as to how their landfill waste materials would be effected.

The specific component of the new regulations that relates to wastes containing inorganic carbon (oils) are set to change. By July, all wastes containing greater than 5% inorganic carbon will no longer be able to go to landfill. Any companies with wastes containing 5% or more inorganic carbon must then find a solution that either involves incineration (or alternative form of thermal treatment), blending or composting. The change to the regulations places new burdens onto the waste management firms in more ways than one. In addition to identifying alternative cost effective solutions, the waste management company must also make allowances for handling and transporting the waste oil sludge to new locations.

As one of the UK’s leading waste management companies, Cleanaway have acted quickly to the challenges of the new legislation by re-evaluating their processes for wastes that are directly affected. Cleanaway has a license to dispose of a range of special wastes that arise from various industrial processes. At Cleanaway’s Pitsea landfill site in Essex oil bearing interceptor wastes are normally treated, skimmed and blended with polymers and then centrifuged. The process produces a non hazardous liquid effluent and a ‘hazardous centrifuge cake’ which has previously been sent to 3rd party landfill for disposal, however following the new regulations this method will no longer be viable, since the inorganic carbon content exceeds the 5% cut off level.

Following some serious consideration on a number of alternative solutions, Cleanaway engaged InBulk Technologies to assist in a plan for taking the hazardous oil sludge to their High Temperature Incineration in Ellesmere Port and injecting it into the Rotary Kiln at a controlled feed rate. InBulk were asked to devise a system that would be able to collect the hazardous centrifuge cake, then the same unit would be placed onto a trailer and transported to the incinerator. On arrival to the incinerator, the unit would need to discharge to an existing positive displacement sludge pump and the material then pumped at a controlled rate into the process.

Oily sludge is a notoriously difficult material to handle or convey. It was quickly decided to try a V Type ISO-Veyor to establish if the material could be successfully conveyed.

Due to its design, the V Type ISO-Veyor is able to give a continuous controlled feed, which is very important as furnace conditions can vary from one day to another and it is essential that the discharge was not at an excessive speed.

InBulk Technologies and the Clyde Blowers Group were indeed well placed to tackle the project. Over 2 years ago they had previously developed a very similar technology for the specific purpose of conveying drill cuttings from ISO-Tanks on oil rigs to other ISO-Tanks on supply vessels via dense phase conveying. Since there were substantial similarities in the material properties of the oil sludge and drill cuttings, it was anticipated that the ISO-Veyor could also be used for waste oil sludges – a full scale trial including logistics was organised.

The ISO-Veyor is filled via the filling hatches on the side of the unit whilst in the horizontal position. Filling can occur with the ISO-Veyor mounted on top of the trailer. After filling, the hatch is closed before the unit makes the journey to the incinerator by road. On arrival at the incinerator, the special hydraulic trailer lifts the ISO-Veyor onto its end, ready for discharge. To facilitate discharge, a standard air supply of between 2-7 barg is connected to the unit via an inlet hose. These can be either free standing or tractor mounted compressors.

The discharge rate for the oil sludge transfer into the Incinerator Roatary Kiln was estimated at between 0.75 and 1.5 tonnes / hour the Iso Veyor feeds the sludge pump which is set at the desired infeed rate. For other applications the ISO-Veyor is capable of discharging at a rate of 1 tonne per minute.

The V Type ISO-Veyor, with a volume of 15m3 gives Cleanaway the option to fill with 18 tonnes of sludge material. This is well within Cleanaways operating parameter of 15 tonnes of sludge per day.

Following the trial, Cleanaway have ordered 5 x 15m3 V Type ISO-Veyors and also 2 x NCH trailers. The ISO-Veyor met and surpassed Cleanaways operational criteria whilst also satisfying all economic justifications.

C.E.O. of InBulk Technologies, Bill Thomson stated, “We are delighted to be developing this new application with Cleanaway. It shows that by combing InBulk’s innovative new technology with Cleanaway’s first class service and forward thinking approach, a new environmental solution has quickly become a reality.

For Further information, contact Dean Reilly, Marketing Manager

dreilly@clydeblowers.co.uk

For further information please visit http://www.inbulktechnologies.com

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