New Method for Cleansing Waste Products and Reusing Resources

Finnish-based Fortum Group has developed – through its recycling and waste solutions unit – a new method called the Multi-Purpose On-site Phase Separator (MOPS).

According to the information, the technology removes pollutants from strongly contaminated soil, hazardous waste and waste incineration residues “in an effective way with minimal harm to the environment”. At the same time MOPS would decontaminate waste, residues and valuable resources for further use. The technology “is an on-site solution treating the waste in interaction with the customer by using for instance the company’s own wastewater”. Fortum Waste Solutions – which operated under its former name Ekokem – is one of Europe’s leading companies regarding the treatment of strongly contaminated soil. As reported, the company is constantly looking to improve existing treatment methods or develop new methods. The new technology is considered as a solution for a modern, high-technology treatment process which can be used in relation to many different input materials, takes place close to source, has a short process time and uses substantially less water than conventional methods.

“The MOPS technology has already been tested on a smaller scale,” Fortum Waste Solutions pointed out. “Among other things, it turned out to be effective in relation to separating mercury and isolating salts and metals to an extent of purity making the treated fraction reusable. We therefore expect the technology to contribute essentially to reducing the consumption of raw materials and strengthening the sustainability profile relating to waste treatment processes.” Fortum Waste Solutions has applied to the The Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s fund for green innovation – MUDP – for financial support to be able to implement the concept in relation to specific fractions. The idea is to use the MUDP subsidies for conducting a pilot test of the technology. The allocation of means is decided in September (the outcome was unknown at the time of writing). The pilot project would use and develop the MOPS technology in practice during 2018-2019.

The three specific focus areas are as follows:
■ Decontamination of strongly contaminated soil from “Groyne 42” in Thyborøn – the primary contamination source is mercury.
■ Recovery of the fly ash from incineration plants. The ash is a residue with a big content of different salts and metals.
■ Recovery of phosphorus from water treatment plant sludges. Decontamination of polluted sludges that would otherwise require incineration or deposit.

http://wastesolutions.fortum.com

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Ekokem Became Fortum

Since April this year, the brand of the Finnish company Ekokem has changed to Fortum. Both companies have teamed up in 2016 to form a major Nordic circular economy company. Following the successful integration of Ekokem‘s operations, the company also became Fortum. As part of the Fortum Group the former Ekokem Group establishes the recycling and waste solutions unit, the company informed. It provides environmental management and material efficiency services in the Nordics which include recycling, reutilization, and final disposal solutions as well as soil remediation and environmental construction services. Fortum is a leading clean-energy company that provides its customers with electricity, heating and cooling as well as solutions to improve resource efficiency. The group employs some 8,000 professionals in the Nordic and Baltic countries, Russia, Poland and India. In 2016, sales were 3.6 billion Euro. www.fortum.com

Photo: Fortum

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