Veolia said it has expanded the solvent recovery capacity at its Garston, Liverpool, facility to 86,000 tonnes a year to meet the growing demand for more sustainable industrial products.
The solvent recovery process will save an estimated 172,000 tonnes CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions each year compared to virgin resources, the UK resource management company said.
Waste materials, such as paint thinners and solvent-based paint, are processed at the site to regenerate them into recycled products that can be reused in the supply chain instead of virgin materials.
The facility uses various distillation technologies to separate residues from the wastes and to further separate solvent mixtures into products suitable for industrial customers, Veolia said.
As well as generating products the plant also produces several types of fuel. Veolia said the site’s steam boilers are powered by a distilled product fuel instead of natural gas, which reduces the energy required from gas by 10,000 MWh per year.
Other by-products from the process are sent to Veolia facilities to be manufactured into alternative fuels for use in the cement industry.
By preserving resources, reducing reliance on virgin materials, and delivering sustainable products to support manufacturers, we can also create major carbon savings.
Veolia said it installed new distillation columns to separate liquids and 17 tanks to store or transfer the solvents as part of the part to increase its site’s processing capacity.
Transport is handled through two new high throughput tanker loading bays which manage logistics for offloading waste for processing, and load the recycled solvents ready for customer delivery, the resource management company said.
Commenting on the new development, Nicola Henshaw, Managing Director Hazardous at Veolia UK said: “This latest expansion of our solvent treatment capabilities demonstrates our commitment to deliver high-quality recycled products derived from advanced waste treatment.
“This highlights the effectiveness of our GreenUp strategy, and further strengthens our position as the world leader in hazardous waste treatment.
“By preserving resources, reducing reliance on virgin materials, and delivering sustainable products to support manufacturers, we can also create major carbon savings.”
