The market for mechanical biological treatment plants (MBT plants) keeps growing.
The number of MBT plants in Europe increased by almost 60 per cent to more than 330 plants between 2005 and 2011. Within the same period, treatment capacities grew by about 70 per cent to 33 million annual tons. And this growth is expected to continue in the next five years: it is expected that the number of plants will increase to about 450 and the capacity to increase to 46 million annual tons.
The EU Landfill Directive especially restricts the landfilling of biodegradable waste and stipulates a pre-treatment of municipal wastes. In terms of this type of treatment, MBT technology is currently the only alternative to waste incineration, which in many cases is not favoured politically. At the same time, MBT plants benefit from the growing demand for the high-grade refuse-derived fuel they produce: in times of increasing energy prices, it has become an in demand fuel for cement mills, RDF power plants or even coal-fired power plants.
Caulmert recently visited Lithuania to meet with their Lithuanian based partner who is currently tendering for a number of European funded MBT projects at various waste management centres across Lithuania. Should tenders be successful, Caulmert will provide technical, operational and project management services.