Brief report on KIVI Circle Caribbean visit to Ecotech Freezone at Balashi Aruba on 2 June 2022 from 10 am - 12:30 pm

At 10 am, the 19 participants were welcomed by Mr Eduardo de Veer at the Ecotech Free Zone site at Balashi. Then Leo Henriquez, as a member of the board of KIVI Circle Caribbean, gave an introduction on the purpose of the site visit and introduced the speaker Eduardo de Veer. The purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the company and find out what the company does in the field of waste treatment in general, particularly household waste. Mr Eduardo de Veer gave a 1-hour presentation on the company's technical processes. His presentation can be found here.

During the presentation, several questions were asked by the participants. A key product of Ecotech Free Zone is RDF (Refused Derived Fuel ) envirobales or organic waste packed in bales that can be used as fuel. Incidentally, several years ago, Ecotech successfully tested this in the kilns of cement plants in Colombia as a trial. However, because the prices of coal, with which the RDF bales are burned, have fallen so much that it no longer paid off to pursue this alternative.

Currently, all the bales in holes at Sero Teishi are stored in controlled cells. The method of storage is done so that there is no contamination of the subsoil or groundwater and no emission to air. Monthly, this is also checked by sampling and analysis. The results are reported to the Nature and Environment Directorate of the government of Aruba.

A key question from one of the participants was whether the stored bales could be recovered later for energy generation in an incinerator. Mr de Veer replied that this possibility is no longer possible due to costs.

After the presentation, Ecotech organised a tour of the technical process part of household waste treatment and then at Sero Teishi on-site to show participants how the envirobales are stored in the holes.

At the end of the visit, Mr Eduardo de Veer and his team from Ecotech Free Zone were thanked for their hospitality.

KIVI KRING CARIBBEAN TA ORGANISA SU DI TRES ACTIVIDAD DI E AÑA AKI CU TA UN BISHITA NA E PLANTA DI PROCESA DESPERDICIO DI ECOTECH FREE ZONE BALASHI ARUBA

E desperdicio cu ta wordo colecta na cas ta yega cu truck na e planta di Ecotech Free Zone y despues e cantidad ta wordo midi. Siguientemente e desperdicio ta bai ariba un vloer unda e por wordo separa: e tirenan ta bai den container di tire pa sigui wordo procesa un otro caminda y e resto di desperdicio ta bai apart via un hopper den un shredder pa hacie chikito.

Carton, papel, metal, aluminium y desperdicio kimico chikito ta wordo separa cu man y deposita den contenedornan apart. Asina cu e contenedornan ta yen nan ta bai pa e recycladornan local cu ta exporta esakinan cu excepcion di e desperdicio kimico cu ta bai e deposito di SERLIMAR unda e ta wordo deposita segun nan instruccion. Carton y papel los ta wordo warda apart pa despues tambe wordo procesa den e planta cu ta paketa e desperdicio.

Despues di proceso di separacion cu man aki e resto ta bai e hopper y e shredder pa wordo haci mas chikito ainda den diferente fragmento cu ta menos cu 80 mm, uno cu ta entre 80 mm y 240 mm y uno cu ta mas grandi cu 240 mm. E ora ey den e procesa e residuo cu ta combustibel ("Refused Derived Fuel or RDF") ta wordo separa for di e resto di karton, metal y aluminium. E ultimonan aki automaticamente ta wordo poni den bunkernan separa. E RDF ta un fragmento di desperdicio combustibel no toxico cu por wordo uza den fornonan industrial, por ehempel pa traha cement. E RDF aki ta wordo paketa den paketenan grandi, e asina yama "envirobales". E planta ta procesa 49 ton pa ora locual ta equivalente na 32 pa 35 "envirobales" cu cada uno un peso promedio di mas o menos 1.5 metric ton (1 MT = 1,000 kg). E "envirobales" ta wordo deponi na un luga designa pa Gobierno di Aruba cu applicacion di e normanan di medio ambiento stipula pa Comunidad Europeo. E resto di karton, metal y aluminium cu ta recycable tambe ta wordo paketa den paketanan cu ta wordo exporta. Mensualmente muestranan di e RDF ta wordo tuma door di inspectornan independiente y manda pa un laboratorium na USA pa control di e calidad. Esaki ta pa controla si e calidad ta cuadra cu e calidad stipula pa autoridadnan.

Hopper Shredder MSW baler

Durante e bishita na Ecotech Freezone lo tin un presentacion di Sr. Edward de Veer cu a studia na Universidad di Miami USA y a gradua den Business Administration cu especialidad financiero. Sr. De Veer tabata un di e directornan di Meta Corporation cu ta un di dunadonan di trabao di mas grandi na Aruba. Entre otro Sr. De Veer ta consul honorario di Dinamarca na Aruba y ta condecora como Officier in de Orde van Oranje Nassau y Ridder in de Orde Primera Clase Danneborg di Dinamarca. Sr. De Veer ta pasiona cu e topico di maneho di desperdicio na Aruba y tin hopi idea inovativo.

KIVI Kring Caribbean ta invita e ingenieronan pa bin haci un bishita na Ecotech Freezone pa asina haya sa mas kiko ta e posibilidadnan pa maneha desperdicion cu ta posibel aki na Aruba y pa haya sa mas di ideanan innovativ tocante esaki. E actividad lo tuma luga dia 2 di juni 2022 den Aula na Ecotech Freezone, Parkietenbos 53-A na Barcadera, di 10:00 te cu 12:00 a.m. E cantidad di participante ta limita na 20 persona asina ta miembronan di KIVI ta haya preferencia. Registra mas lihe cu ta posibel.

KIVI KRING CARIBBEAN IS ORGANISING ITS THIRD EVENT THIS YEAR AND THIS TIME IT WILL BE A VISIT TO THE WASTE PROCESSING COMPANY ECOTECH FREE ZONE AT BALASHI ARUBA

On arrival at Ecotech Freezone's site, trucks carrying household waste are first weighed. The waste is then deposited on a tipping floor where car tyres are separated from the rest of the waste, which goes to the hopper and shredder. The car tyres are stored in separate containers for further processing.

Cardboard, paper, metal, aluminium and small chemical waste are separated by hand and placed separately in containers. When these containers are full, the separated waste goes to local companies for recycling and export abroad. This is with the exception of small chemical waste, which is disposed of in a landfill in accordance with SERLIMAR's instructions. Loose cardboard and paper are kept separate and further processed in the waste packaging process.After manual separation, the rest goes to the hopper and shredder where this waste is reduced into various fractions in size; from smaller than 80 mm, a fraction between 80 and 240 mm and a fraction larger than 240 mm. The process then separates the combustible residue ("Refused Derived Fuel or RDF") from the rest of the metal and aluminium. These are automatically placed in separate bunkers. The RDF is a fraction of waste that is combustible and non-toxic and can be used in kilns such as those of the cement industry. The RDF is then baled into bales in so-called "envirobales". The separation plant processes up to 49 tonnes per hour, equivalent to 32 to 35 "envirobales", each with an average weight of about 1.5 MT (1 MT = 1,000 kg). The "envirobales" are deposited at a site designated by the Aruban government, applying European Union environmental standards. The recyclable components, such as cardboard, metal and aluminium, are also baled and exported. Monthly samples of RDF are taken by independent samplers and sent to an independent laboratory in the US to check that the quality meets the quality standards set by the authorities.

Hopper Shredder MSW baler

During the visit to Ecotech Freezone, a presentation will be made by Mr Edward de Veer, who graduated in Business Administration with finance specialism from the University of Miami Florida USA. Mr de Veer was one of the directors of Meta Corporation, one of the largest employers in Aruba. Mr de Veer's roles include Honorary Consul of Denmark in Aruba and he has been awarded Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau (Netherlands) and also Knight First Class in the Order of Danneborg Denmark. Moreover, Mr de Veer is very involved in the management of waste in Aruba and has several innovative ideas how to deal with it.

KIVI Kring Caribbean invites engineers to attend this visit to Ecotech Freezone and gain more knowledge on how this company deals with waste but also gain knowledge on innovations in this field. This activity will take place at Ecotech Freezone's location at Parkietenbos 53-A Balashi on June 2, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. The number of visitors is limited to 20 persons so KIVI members take precedence for registration. So register quickly

KIVI CIRCLE CARIBBEAN ORGANISES ITS THIRD ACTIVITYTHIS YEAR. THIS TIME KIVI WILL BE VISITING THE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE PROCESSING LOCATION ECOTECH FREEZONE AT BALASHI ARUBA

After collection of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) trucks containing this waste is offered at the facility of Ecotech Freezone. Firs the MSW trucks go through a weighing system where the weight of the waste is registered. After that the waste is separated on a tipping floor where tires are collected and put in designated buckets for processing. The rest of the waste is then designated to go to a hopper for shredding.

Cardboard, heavy metal scrap, aluminium and small chemical waste are hand picked, stored separately and deposited in appropriate containers. Once these containers are full these are exported by local recycling companies with the exception of the small chemical waste. Last one is brought to a SERLIMAR location to be deposited according to SERLIMAR instructions. Loose cardboard will be stored and separately processed at the baling location.

After the handpicking process the rest of the MSW is shredded into 3 fractions, one smaller than 80 mm, one between 80 to 240 mm and one larger than 240 mm. The Refused Derived Fuel (or RDF) is then separated from the rest of the metal scrab and aluminium, which are automatically stored in bunkers. The RDF is combustible and non-toxic which can be used in kilns like those of the cement industry. It is then pressed into envirobales. The waste separation plant operates at a rate of 49 tonnes per hour or an equivalent of 32 to 35 envirobales, each weighing 1.5 MT on the average. All recyclables, like cardboard, metal scrap and aluminium are also compacted and baled for export. The RDF envirobales are deposited at a pit, authorized by the Government of Aruba which complies with the European Union environmental standards. RDF quality control samples are surveyed monthly by an independent surveyor and send to an independent laboratory in the USA to assure it is within the authorised specifications.

Hopper Shredder MSW baler

During the visit a presentation will be given by Mr. Edward de Veer, who graduated at the University of Miami Florida USA in Business Administration, with a specialty in Finances. Mr. de Veer was one of the directors of Meta Corporation who is known to be one of the largest employers in Aruba. Besides that Mr. de Veer is honorable consul of Denmark, and has been decorated as an Officer of the Order of Oranje Nassau of the Netherlands and First Grade Knight of the Order of Danneborg Denmark. Mr de Veer is very committed to the management of MSW in Aruba and has specific innovative ideas how to deal with the Aruban MSW.

KIVI Kring Caribbean invites engineers to participate at the visit of the MSW processing plant of Ecotech Freezone to get more knowledge on how it is processed here but also to learn on the innovative ideas on this theme. This visit will take place at Ecotech Freezone, Parkietenbos 53-A Barcadera June 2, 2022 at 10:00 to 12:00 a.m. The number of participants is limited to 20 persons and therefore KIVI members take precedence when registering. Register as soon as possible

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