Work on the AlmerÃa Environmental Complex is progressing at a frenetic pace to put behind them the bitter memory of the fire a couple of years ago. The city is getting closer to having state-of-the-art facilities that will allow manage waste much more efficiently and sustainable, something that the residents of the capital have been waiting for to improve local sustainability.
According to the latest data provided after the official visit to the Cuevas de los Medina site, the works have already surpassed the [missing information - likely a specific milestone or stage]. 85% of its total executionThis means that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we could see the plant operating at full capacity this summer after completing the necessary technical tests, which will begin in a matter of weeks. This is excellent news for the environment.
State-of-the-art technology for waste sorting
One of the most anticipated milestones has recently been reached with the installation of a trommel of spectacular dimensions, which has become the heart of the system. It is a perforated rotating cylinder, considered one of the largest in all of Spainwhose main function is to sort the garbage according to its size so that it is then easier to reuse each material separately.
Assembling this part has been quite an engineering challenge, but it's now in place alongside the rest of the machinery already at rest in the facility. The operators are now focused on putting the finishing touches on the electrical connections and final assembly of the equipment so that everything works like a Swiss watch when it's time to turn on the switches and start the no-load tests.
As a new feature, transparency and environmental education by including an elevated walkway. This platform will allow citizens visit the facilities and see with their own eyes how the effort of separating plastic or paper at home has its reward by becoming useful raw material again for industry.
Economic impact and treatment capacity
The investment to build this new center is close to €20,5 million, an amount assumed by the concessionary company PreZero as part of its management commitment. With this deployment of resources, the plant not only recovers what was lost in the 2022 fire, but also expands its operational capacity until reaching 113.000 tons of general waste and another 4.000 additional tons specifically for packaging.
From a financial point of view, the move is a win-win for the public coffers, since it is estimated that savings of three million euros in the next decade thanks to reduced landfill taxes. By recovering more material and burying less waste, AlmerÃa saves significant money while complying with the most demanding European circular economy guidelines.
The infrastructure has been designed with the future in mind, initially occupying 7.000 square meters but with plenty of room for grow up to 40.000 meters If necessary. In addition, solar panels have been integrated for self-consumption of energy and state-of-the-art systems that will keep unpleasant odors and emissions under control, guaranteeing a peaceful coexistence with the natural environment of the area.
This ambitious project places the capital of AlmerÃa on the map of cities that best manage their environmental footprint, achieving that the product life cycle may be much longer. The combination of constant monitoring, reinforced security measures, and leading separation technology in the country ensures that AlmerÃa has a key tool to face the ecological challenges of the coming years without depending so much on conventional landfills.
