WANAN Intends to build Several state of the art Waste Processing, Eco Industrial Parks in cooperation with local Municipalities. The scope of these facilities eclipse all other current and planned solutions in regards to capability and technological development.
The development of the project is multi phased, beginning with the implementation of Europe’s most advanced recycling solution; Herhof, and culminating in the installation of WANAN'S own proprietary waste management solution;VersuTech.
Additionally, unlike other waste management solutions which tend to focus on one primary benefit, WANAN'S facility will provide multiple beneficial end products. These products include: Single Stream Recycling, Waste to energy Production (Stabilat), Methane Extraction, Landfill Reduction, Premium Compost, and Building Materials.
The Development of the WANAN Eco Industrial Park is set up in multiple phases, to be implemented through the course of the first two years of the initial project. The first of these phases is the Construction and Operation of the Herhof Stabilat facility. The primary objective of this facility is to handle the incoming Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream in its entirety.
Phase 1
The process begins with the MSW being brought into the facility by the municipality’s waste collectors. Upon arrival at the facility, they are directed to the correct drop off location by an automated computer system. After the waste is dumped into the proper location, an automated crane distributes the waste within a holding tank, loading 1.4 ton payloads into the shredder on an as needed basis as determined by the computer.
Following the shredding process, the waste is then distributed across the Herhof Boxes for dehydration. An automated crane retrieves the waste from the shredding area and deposits it within a Herhof box, where it is then sealed for approximately 7-10 days. During this process the waste creates heat from its own biochemical reactions combined with a specific amount of airflow which is pushed through the waste via a ground based ventilation system.
The computer monitors each box during this process, ensuring that temperatures and reactions are consistent across the board. Should any anomalies arise, the computer can adjust the airflow within each box to help regulate the reactions. No external additives, energy, or heat are required for this process, only air.
Once the dehydration is complete, the automated crane opens the lids and moves the dried waste to a holding tank. The bottom of this tank contains a walking floor which can distribute the waste at an even rate to the conveyor system below. These conveyors take the waste through an advanced sorting system consisting of several highly advanced automated techniques. Some of these techniques include air sorting, density sifters, optical sorters, and magnetic systems. The sorting process is able to separate waste into virtually any segmentation imaginable.
Upon completion of the sorting process, the waste has been divided into 3 primary groups; Recyclables for resale, Combustibles for use in Stabilat, and Low grade recyclables and undesirable materials. The general recyclables are gathered into refuse piles to be transferred and sold to resellers and product manufactures. Stabilat created in the facility can be sold in two distinct forms, “Fluff” which is an uncompressed loose material, and “Pellets” Which are highly compressed and require an additional step in production. Both forms of Stabilat can easily be produced at the same plant and distributed to multiple clients.
The low grade Recyclables and undesirable materials are transferred to the VersuTech facility to be reconstituted into Building materials. The term “Low Grade Recyclables” refers to a recyclable material with a resale value lower than its value when reconstituted into a building material in the VersuTech process. Additionally, the term “Undesirable Material” is a relative one used in relation to its compatibility with the Herhof System. These Undesirable materials can include highly acidic objects such as batteries, certain liquid wastes, and any materials deemed unsuitable for Stabilat use or conventional recycling.
Phase 2
The second phase of the WANAN Eco Industrial Park is the construction and operation of the VersuTech Facility, WANAN'S proprietary Waste Management Solution.
The primary goal of the VersuTech facility, as opposed to the Herhof, is to break down the existing landfill. This waste will be broken down and reconstituted into new products such as Compost, road aggregate, Concrete substitute materials, energy pellets, and insulation.
The VersuTech facility begins with waste being harvested from the existing landfill, which is then shredded alongside low grade and undesirable materials from the Herhof process. This shredding breaks the materials down into a much finer substrate that what is required for the Herhof process, this helps to ensure that a good mix is achieved between the waste from separate streams.
As the waste is then moved from the shredder to the mulcher, an equal proportion of liquid waste is added along with chemical additives to neutralize the PH levels of the waste. This liquid waste stream comes in the form of either wastes from the surrounding municipality such as liquid Slaughter house wastes, or in the form of waste water from the dehydrated waste in the Herhof process.
Once the mulched waste has reached the proper consistency it can then be moved to a compressor, alternately, if the mulch consists of all organic materials it can then be transferred to a holding area to create compost. The compression process creates extreme heats which, in addition to reactive chemical agents, assists in the sterilization of the waste. As the waste is compressed, it is pushed through extruders which mold the waste into the desired end product, for example CMU blocks.
The Energy Cluster
The WANAN Eco Industrial Park helps to form an “Energy Cluster” with the surrounding industries. This means that the WANAN Eco Industrial park will play a central role in the circular relation between recycled materials and new product manufactures. This relationship will stimulate industries which have been lying dormant to their full potential, helping to turn isolated municipalities from Importers of goods and raw materials, to a large scale exporters.
The sorting capabilities within the Herhof System allow manufactures to receive premium materials to be used in the production process. Glass can be sorted by color to a degree unseen in most conventional recycling methods, saving the manufacture time and money. This type of sorting also enables the fulfillment of specific orders for individual colors of glass as opposed to a general shade or bulk. The same possibilities can also be achieved within the paper industry, where the color and quality of the source material plays a more direct role in the value of the end product.
Additionally, the process of properly disposing of rubber in a municipality has become a large issue, particularly where it concerns the disposal of rubber tires. The VersuTech Eco Industrial Park solves this issue by breaking down the large multitude of tires and rubber products currently in a state of nonproductivity. These rubber items can be broken down into a fine powder or larger pellet like materials, with secondary components such as steel being removed for resale. In its broken down form it can then be used in the creation of road aggregate, an additive in insulation, or resold as a raw material to local rubber manufactures who can repurpose it.
Beyond the lack of raw materials for use in production, another key factor leading to the decline of the local industry is the limited availability and high cost of electricity. The WANAN Eco Park can help to remedy this issue through the sale of alternative fuel sources which are inherently available within the system. These energy sources can help to greatly offset the impact surrounding industries have on the Municipality’s energy grid.
At the start of production the Stabilat material will be available for sale through the Herhof process. This material can be burned as a clean substitute to coal, which produces only marginally lower energy ratings than its conventional counterpart.
Methane created by chemical reactions taking place within the landfill itself can also be harnessed as a possible energy source. The gas can be collected at a fairly regular rate and then stored under compression before being sold to local industry or energy providers where it can be burned to power generators which then create energy for the grid.
Using a slightly modified production line, the VersuTech system can also produce energy pellets for use as a combustible fuel. All three of the above options can be marketed to outside sources, however, they can also be used in combination to lessen Wanan’s own impact on the Grid.
To take this further, All buildings in the Eco park will be constructed with the addition of Photo Voltaic paneling to collect solar energy to offset power consumption by a meaningful percentage.