Waste-to-energy plant in Spain relies on proven technology for emission measurement

A waste-to energy (WtE) plant in Sant Adrià del Besòs near Barcelona in Spain has rolled out an innovative system for ensuring better environmental practices. The plant is owned by the TERSA Group, a publicly owned environmental management company and designed for handling municipal waste. SICK Spain (now marketed by Endress+Hauser Spain) installed two measurement systems, doubling the reliability of the plant’s emissions data.

• In line with the measures put in place by the local authorities to improve air quality, the TERSA Group aims to achieve the highest standards possible for efficiency and environmental sustainability. It believes that the new catalytic system installed in the WtE plant and driven by proven measurement technology is a key part of its efforts.
• The project followed on from a public tendering procedure, which was won by PASCH, a Spanish company specializing in supplying and maintaining equipment.
• This article was first published on www.sick.com on March 3rd, 2021. Since Jan 1st, 2025 Endress+Hauser exclusively markets SICK’s gas analysis and flow measurement technology worldwide.

The plant has three waste treatment lines, with a maximum annual capacity of 360,000 tons, and annual production of 200,000 MW of electricity. “Because of where it is and what it does, the plant can potentially have a significant environmental impact. In order to ensure we meet levels set out in legal standards, we need the best emission measurement technology available”, explained Alessandro Leotta, Head of WtE at the TERSA Group.

With this goal in mind, the right environmental measurement equipment helps to improve process efficiency while minimizing the plant’s impact on the surrounding environment. This project involved a full analyzer system in the stack, along with a redundant system, designed to double the reliability of the data sent to the Catalonian authorities about the plant’s emissions.

These two pieces of equipment are made up of two MCS100FT multi-component Analyzers, two MERCEM300Z mercury Analyzers, two DUSTHUNTER SP100 particle Analyzers, two FLOWSIC100 gas flow measuring instruments, two MPR remote monitoring elements, and two control cabinets, along with a data handling system and another system used by both the plant and the local authorities to send the data. 

The equipment supply contract includes 24/7 maintenance, with a 4-hour response time. The system also has a remote monitoring service operated from Germany, which enhances the level of support.

During the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the MPR monitoring system has made it possible to diagnose faults, maintain the Analyzers, and manage alarms remotely, as well as the automated QAL3 settings. All of these features have contributed to helping the plant to keep operating and providing an essential service.