Prague wants to turn waste from the Malešice incinerator into building materials
Prague is preparing to convert tens of tons of slag, which arises from the incineration of waste in the Malešice incinerator, into building materials. Instead of waste that it has to transport to landfills for tens of millions of crowns a year, the city can obtain raw materials that can be used mainly as a base material in the construction industry. The process of disposing of municipal waste in the metropolis would thus be significantly more environmentally friendly.
As part of the approved Climate Plan, Prague intends to reduce CO2 emissions by 45 percent by 2030, while increasing the share of recycling and further use of waste. What was long ago behind waste can be converted into raw materials thanks to modern technologies, which is true in the case of waste generated during incineration in ZEVO Malešice.
“The slag produced during incineration makes up 20 to 25 percent of the weight of the input waste. The incinerator in Malešice produces 65 to 70 thousand tons of slag per year. We take this waste to a landfill and pay around 40 million crowns a year for landfilling, “says Petr Hlubuček, Deputy Mayor of Prague. m of Prague for the environment. “Thanks to research and development of modern technologies, it is now possible to further separate metals from slag and convert slag into construction raw materials, which can replace mined natural raw materials,” adds Deputy Hlubuček.
In the case of the Malešice incinerator, a feasibility study is currently being completed. The estimated investment for the entire line for the separation of metals from slag is tentatively about 250 million crowns with an estimated return of 4 to 9 years. At the same time, the cleaned slag has demonstrably good properties for the construction industry, for example as a base layer for roads. However, the use of slag as a building material in the Czech Republic is still prevented by valid legislation.
“It is necessary to change the legislative classification of slag from waste to raw materials. Of course, in compliance with strict environmental requirements and standards for treated slag, including specific conditions for the safe use of slag as a base layer on roads, “explains Petr Hlubuček.
Following the approval of the new decree on the details of waste management, the use of slag as a raw material should be possible. For construction use, however, it is necessary to precede the effective separation of metals. This is a highly technologically innovative approach, which is currently in practice in only a few cities, such as Copenhagen, Denmark.