Open Day: Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF/RDF)

Discovering the Solid recovered fuel (SRF) & refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production line at Tilet Récupération during an open day in Portes-lès-Valence

On Tuesday, June 6, nearly 90 professionals from the waste management sector gathered in Portes-lès-Valence to discover the Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) production line at Tilet Récupération, designed and constructed by AKTID.

This open day dedicated to SRF began with a friendly breakfast, followed by a presentation of Tilet Récupération and the origins of the project by Patrick Folcher, AKTID’s Sales Manager for private markets. He traced the company’s evolution — from metal sorting in 1989 to industrial waste recovery, including paper, cardboard, plastic films, and wood.

Driven by a constant desire to maximize waste recovery, Tilet Récupération decided in 2022 to invest in an SRF production line. Leveraging its extensive experience in this field, AKTID proposed a simple yet scalable solution tailored to the company’s specific needs.

The line produces 5 to 6 tonnes of SRF per hour, suitable for both cement plants (pre-calcination) and industrial boilers.

Like a guided tour, four AKTID experts then presented the sorting process to the participants, following the path of the incoming waste stream.

The visit began with the sorting of Commercial & Industrial (C&I) waste, carried out using AKTID’s rotary sorting table. Next came the materials intended for SRF production — mainly sorting refusals and a few external inputs directly suitable for SRF conversion. All of these materials are directed to the SRF production line, ensuring near-total recovery through both material and energy valorization.

The visit continued with a detailed presentation of the SRF production line, highlighting AKTID’s innovative design choices. The company opted for a grate shredder at the start of the process, eliminating the traditional combination of pre-shredder and granulator. This approach allows the definitive particle size to be achieved right from the first stage.

Subsequent stages focus on cleaning the flow by removing unwanted elements such as oversized materials, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and heavy fractions that would otherwise impair efficient combustion.

In short, a simple yet efficient process that, given the quality and preparation of the incoming stream, allows the production of high-quality SRF while keeping the initial investment low. The line has also been designed to be scalable, able to adapt to potential changes in downstream outlets.

The event concluded with a networking lunch, giving participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss innovations in waste recovery and SRF production.

AKTID and its entire team warmly thank Tilet Récupération for its hospitality and all participants for their engagement in advancing sustainable waste management.