Integrated waste treatment

The main activities carried out at the plant include sorting and recycling urban waste, anaerobic digestion and quality composting of recycled urban waste, and disposal of non-dangerous special waste in landfills. The main objectives, in line with all applicable regulations, are to increase the amount of recycled materials and energy and reduce the amount of waste in landfills.

In Orvieto there are two energy plants powered by biogas produced by the anaerobic section of the waste treatment plant and by landfills. In 2020, the plant’s intake of waste was 106,477 tons. Of this, 60% was sent to the composting sections with anaerobic digestion facilities to produce quality compost and electricity and for mechanical biological treatment, while the rest, approximately 67,700 tons of waste, was disposed of in landfills.

The production of biogas for use in the energy production chain is one of the main activities at the Orvieto plant. It is a complex process that we try to simplify here.

1. The waste that arrives at the plant, except for the part destined for composting, undergoes a mechanical biological treatment to recover some of the materials.
2. After the treatment, any materials that cannot be recovered are sent to landfills and deposited in special locations where they are treated further: compacted and covered with clay.
3. In these conditions, the waste biodegradation process generates biogas.
4. The biogas is entirely captured and used to produce electricity.
5. The energy produced by the combustion of the biogas is introduced in the electricity distribution network.