It is the first project in Italy for the extraction of precious metals from electronic cards that uses a hydrometallurgical process with reduced environmental impact: the innovative plant that the Iren Group will build in Terranuova, with an investment of 5 million euros, was presented at the headquarters of the Tuscany regional council.
The plant, which received authorization from the Tuscany Region at the end of 2023, will be built within a hub, on a surface area of 2,500 m2, dedicated to the circular economy that Iren will develop in the municipality of Terranuova Bracciolini. In recent days, work has begun on the adaptation of the warehouse that will house the plant and activities will be fully operational by the end of the year. Every year, over 200 kg of gold and the same amount of silver will be released from the plant for the local goldsmith industry, as well as copper and palladium, fundamental materials for the Italian industry and often critical in supply.
“The applied technology, developed by Iren’s project partners, Osai Green Tech and BTT Italia, will allow the extraction, selection and recovery of precious metals and rare raw materials present inside WEEE electronic cards, including gold, silver, palladium and copper, combining high levels of efficiency and low environmental impacts. Inside the plant, which when fully operational will have a processing capacity of over 300 tons of electronic boards per year, the components will be subjected to a hydrometallurgical process that allows the separation and refining of the precious metals. The Terranuova Bracciolini plant represents a unique example at an Italian level and is a perfect example of best practice for the ecological transition: the WEEE treatment that will be applied allows us to reduce energy consumption and produce a quantity of CO2 twenty times lower than that produced in traditional extraction processes”.
“I am particularly proud to present this project which fully interprets the spirit with which we promoted the Public Notice which is the basis of the new Circular Economy Plan. This is a technologically advanced and innovative plant, located in an area already with an industrial vocation, which will extract precious metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) – declares Monia Monni, Councilor for the Environment of the Tuscany Region -. This type of waste represents a real urban mine of materials characterized by a high economic value and a high supply risk, which are also indispensable to the production cycles of many industries, including those linked to renewable energy. I thank IREN for having been able to perfectly grasp the challenge launched by Tuscany, thus contributing to the promotion of more sustainable and fair development, also through the construction of a waste cycle capable of extracting value from our waste and fueling supply chains and new production cycles, reducing the use of raw materials, investing in innovative low-impact technologies”.
“We are really satisfied – said Sergio Chienni, mayor of Terranuova Bracciolini – to see the creation of the first WEEE recovery plant in Valdarno. A fundamental step in the establishment of the first circular economy district in our territory. We appreciate that Iren has chosen to invest in this important and innovative project, in synergy with the Municipality, opening a new scenario in Valdarno, both in terms of employment and sustainability and the Green Economy. Transforming waste into value is one of the paradigms of the future, a horizon different from the current one, capable of creating development according to a new and sustainable model”.
“This project demonstrates the Iren Group’s commitment in the field of the circular economy and, in particular, in the supply chain linked to the recovery of precious metals and critical raw materials from WEEE – comments Eugenio Bertolini, CEO of Iren Ambiente -. A plant that represents national excellence, not only in terms of technological innovation, but also in terms of integration with the territory, made possible by a positive dialogue with stakeholders. The project also allows the development of a strategic supply chain, valorising a type of waste which today, over 90%, is sent for recovery abroad, and mainly using incineration technologies. A significant piece of Iren’s investment strategy, which in Tuscany sees a particular focus on the development of plant equipment, with two important integrated hub projects dedicated to the integrated waste cycle, in Valdarno and Scarlino”.
2024-02-07 01:12:42
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