The project was based at a materials technology and recycling facility in Belgium. The facility had two very large storage/settlement ponds in which they receive process, surface and wash water from the entire premises.
The project involved undertaking the safe and efficient removal of sediment from the ponds followed by separation, recovery and recycling of solid material containing precious metal.
About Our Client
Separo were engaged by one of Europe's leading industrial services and waste management companies. Our client was looking for a proven and reliable partner for an industrial cleaning and waste management project in Antwerp, Belgium. The principal client for this project was a global materials technology and recycling group.
The Challenge
The client needed to empty the ponds, clean them for inspection and return to full capacity. As the sediment in the ponds contained valuable precious metals (that entered water streams during site operations) there was commercial and environmental pressure to separate, recover and recycle the solids.
What We Did
Separo recovered valuable raw materials for re-use by the site operator. The first step involved primary screening of pond slurry using large vibrating shaker screens. Effluent from this stage was then transferred into multiple tilting-plate clarifiers where suspended solids were extracted. Clarified water was either routed back into the pond or to the site wastewater treatment plant. Finally, the thickened solids from the clarifiers were dewatered using high-speed horizontal decanting centrifuges.
Value Gained
Separo turned waste into a resource. The site ponds were emptied, cleaned and returned to full operational capacity. Sludge and sediment was processed and valuable precious metals were recovered, recycled and returned to the client for use as a raw material.
Project Statistics
An estimated 15,000m3 of waste material was processed by Separo without a single health, safety or environmental incident. 6,580 tonnes of dry solids containing valuable precious metals were returned to the client as a resource.
