I have previously mentioned our local refuse incinerator KEZO for piloting direct CO2 capture and using this together with waste low grade heat to promote growth in nearby greenhouses.
They have now posted a piece on metal, specifically gold, recovery. 80kg gold per year is not a bad yield.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/how-the-swiss-extract-gold-from-rubbish/48126584
We were also delivered a flyer on the plant as they are planning an upgrade into a new building. I have translated a few of the points.
The Swiss generate around 700kg refuse per person per year. KEZO is one of 29 facilities in Switzerland and handles around 190,000 tonnes of refuse per year.
The refuse is burnt at up to 1000°C and is used to generate 110 GWh per year of electricity. The lower grade heat energy is used for district heating, being distributed at between 75-100°C and feeding around 25,000 households. This is said to save 21 million litres of heating oil per year.
Around 4,500 tonnes of metals are recovered per year including iron/steel, aluminium, copper, zinc and of course the precious metals.
Is this a good thing? It must be better than land fill. Is it only possible in a rich country like Switzerland?
