From Waste to Energy

Organic waste and Waste-to-Energy (WtE) solutions specialist Tidy Planet has signed a contract which makes the firm the UK’s sole distributor of Sugimat’s WtE boilers, for a further five years.

The extension of this industry partnership now also sees Macclesfield-based Tidy Planet able to offer the company’s latest combustion technology – the Horizon+ rotary boiler – to the UK waste and recycling market.

Joining its suite of biomass systems, the new rotary solution has been specially engineered to process high ash content fuels, including difficult to combust refuse derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF). It is the first of its kind on the market and guaranteeing 8,000 operational hours per year, can achieve significant savings in downtime and human-intervention-associated costs.

The technology also has a self-cleaning capability, which allows it to cope with the high ash content and sticky ashes typically associated with ‘dirty’ fuels like RDF and SRF and means there is no loss of efficiency. The rotating element within the equipment causes the ash to fall off boiler tubes, keeping them clear of residue and therefore elevating performance and maximising plant uptime. For particularly sticky ashes, a recyclable cleaning medium can be introduced to further improve the self-cleaning capabilities.

Commenting on the extension of the long-term partnership, Tidy Planet’s managing director, Simon Webb said: “We first started working with Sugimat in 2016, when the organisation provided a solid fuel boiler for the WtE plant we designed for Gatwick Airport. This system enables the client to process 3,000 tonnes of contaminated food and non-recyclable waste on site, which was previously sent to landfill.

“Our exclusive partnership with Sugimat means that we can continue to bring cutting-edge WtE technology to our waste and recycling industry – the new rotary boiler is the first of its kind, and we’re excited to be driving this forward here in the UK.”

Alex Mas, Sugimat’s business development director, added: “We have over 40 years’ experience manufacturing industrial boilers, and working with Tidy Planet allows us to share this expertise with UK businesses.

“As the UK is struggling to export its end-of-life waste overseas, an increasing number of organisations are turning their attention to the value of RDF and SRF. We believe it is important for companies to harness the potential of this waste stream and close the loop, instead of shipping this valuable energy source elsewhere.

“We share this ethos with Tidy Planet and that’s why our partnership works so well.”

The UK environmental firm is now working with companies across the country – within the waste and recycling, aviation, rendering, fish farming and wood recycling sectors – to build customised WtE plants featuring Sugimat’s advanced combustion equipment.

Two Horizon+ systems are currently in production and will be ready for installation at the end of the year.