36,976 tons of compost produced in 2022
Composting is the process that enables the creation, through the treatment of waste and waste materials from production processes, a stable, hygienic material for use in agriculture and flower-growing: compost.
36,976 tons of compost produced in 2022
The underlying principle is to reproduce, in controlled situations, the natural biological process of decomposition of the organic substance contained in waste, by the micro organisms present in the environment. The result, after a variable length of time, depending on the type of process adopted, is precisely compost. This is how a waste material of the production chain or civil consumption becomes a new resource for the first stage in the agricultural chain.
The composting plants managed by Acea Ambiente are in Aprilia, the largest in Lazio, in Sabaudia, both in the province of Latina, in Orvieto and in Monterotondo Marittimo, the largest anaerobic digestion plant in Tuscany: quality compost is produced both through the recovery of material from the treatment of municipal waste and through the recovery of sludge from the purification of water.
Acea Ambiente in fact also carries out a series of other activities that complement the management of the Integrated Water Service (Acea Acqua). More specifically, the integration of the two sectors takes concrete form in the recovery and disposal of sludge deriving from the purification of water. These activities are entrusted to Aquaser, a subsidiary of Acea.
Aquaser: logistical management of approximately 390,000 tonnes of waste.
Aquaser transports the sludge from the wastewater treatment plants, managed by the companies part of the Acea Group responsible for the Integrated Water Service, to the composting plants (owned by Acea Ambiente and third parties). Here the sludge is used mixed with other matrices entering the plants (OFMSW, green waste, other organic waste) and sent for the production of quality compost for agricultural use.
Aprilia plant: summary data
The expansion of the plant was completed in November 2019 with the construction of an anaerobic digestion section that generates electricity and thermal energy. The plant as a whole (new section + existing section) has a capacity of 120,000 t/year. The three cogenerators installed, with an overall power of 2.8 MW, allow to produce approximately 23,000 MWh/year of electricity (besides the recovery of thermal energy). Moreover, a compost bagging machine and a machine for RDF production from waste of the same plant were installed in 2021. Both machines were implemented and testedduring the first quarter of 2022, they entered into operation with the aim of activating further market outlets for the placement of the soil improver and the RDF production line starting from the waste of the same plant, which allows the waste to be delivered to the plant of San Vittore del Lazio and contribute to an increasingly circular economy.
Sabaudia plant: summary data
The composting plant in Sabaudia treats mainly sludge produced in the Acea Group treatment plants, in addition to other waste and sludge of agri-food origin, mowing and pruning. The plant also has a liquid waste treatment section with a capacity of 30,000 t/year
Monterotondo Marittimo plant: summary data
The composting plant in Monterotondo Marittimo is one of the largest in Italy. It is equipped with the most advanced technologies on the market and, using the anaerobic-aerobic combined technology, is capable of reaching a waste treatment capacity of 70,000 tonnes/year (consisting of organic fraction, mowing, pruning and sludge), accompanied by a total of 6 GWh of electricity produced every year and the recovery of the thermal energy produced. The plant offers relevant environmental benefits, including a reduced disposal of organic waste which is transformed into useful fertiliser for agriculture (compost) and electricity production from renewable sources, turning the biogas from the anaerobic waste digestion into energy.
Orvieto plant: summary data
Aquaser: summary data
Aquaser carries out the loading, transport, intermediation, recovery and disposal of waste produced by urban wastewater treatment plants.
Aquaser coordinates the entire waste quality control chain, schedules the sampling of waste, applies analytical models prepared in accordance with the most up-to-date and stringent standards, verifies the analytical results and homologates the waste at a number of available suppliers.
Acea Ambiente collaborates with Tuscia University to divulge a culture of sustainability in the agri-food sector.
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