Inauguration of Trivalandes’ SRF Production Unit

An SRF production unit using rejects from the UVEOR facility

Unlike most SRF production units in France, which rely on non-recyclable waste from selective collection, bulky waste, or commercial and industrial activities, the Trivalandes facility is based on a different approach.
It recovers sorting rejects from the territory’s energy and organic recovery units (UVEOR), formerly known as mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plants.

This specific approach makes it possible to efficiently treat residual household waste while producing high-quality SRF intended for industrial energy uses. The facility is part of a global performance contract, combining recovery targets with commitments on the quality and offtake of the fuel produced.

A high-performance facility

The Saint-Christophe-du-Ligneron facility is designed to process nearly 50,000 tonnes of waste per year, equivalent to around 20 tonnes per hour. This installation enables:

• a minimum recovery rate of 54% of the waste treated,
• an annual production of at least 15,000 tonnes of SRF,
• a guaranteed offtake of the SRF, mainly by cement plants located within a radius of less than 150 km, as well as by other industrial users.

These commitments ensure both the stability of outlets and the long-term viability of the local waste-to-energy recovery sector.

A state-of-the-art SRF preparation process

The production line implemented by Aktid is based on a sequence of machines specifically designed for this type of waste stream. The process includes several key stages:

• Size-based separation of waste
• Size reduction of the largest elements
• Air separation to direct fractions either to rejects or to recovery
• Extraction of ferrous and non-ferrous metals (overband magnet and eddy current separator)
• Removal of PVC by optical sorting, due to its chlorine content

This configuration makes it possible to produce two distinct SRF grades: one intended for industrial boilers, the other for cement plants. At the end of the line, a lower heating value (LHV) analyzer monitors the quality of the fuel produced in real time.

A facility designed for a complex waste stream

The nature of the incoming waste stream—made up of material contaminated with odorous organic fines—required a specific adaptation of the process. All conveyors and equipment are fully enclosed, and a 100,000 m³/h multi-point extraction system directs foul air to a dedicated air treatment unit for dust removal and air scrubbing, ensuring controlled operating conditions.