Promer Qatar is the main contractor appointed on the Qatar Government’s new plant, which will provide much-needed additional processing facilities to cope with further predicted growth in Qatar’s municipal waste arisings.
The Al Khor Sorting plant is currently in the construction phase and is due to be operational in early 2016. As the second large-scale MRF in the country, it will process up to 1,500 tons of mixed MSW per day on two lines. The plant represents a total investment of 150 million QAR.
Promer Qatar, part of Promer, one of Turkey’s leading construction companies, was established in June 2006 and has since delivered a number of large-scale construction projects throughout Qatar.
Optimal recvery of valuable waste materials
The plant has been designed with the very latest in sensor-based sorting technology for optimal recovery of valuable waste materials. MSW contains a variety of valuable, recyclable materials including plastics, mixed paper, cardboard and metals that cannot be easily recovered using traditional recycling processes. However, sensor-based sorting technology enables high recovery and purity rates of materials from this waste stream.
Six of TOMRA’s AUTOSORT optical sorting units will be installed on each of the two lines. These will separate and recover mixed plastics, mixed paper, cardboard, film and PET/HDPE/PP. The AUTOSORT combines near infrared (NIR) and visual (VIS) sensors that are able to simultaneously sort material by material type and colour. Whereas conventional technology is incapable of capturing these resources, the AUTOSORT can be set up to identify and separate each individual fraction.
Strong presence and excellent reputation
Erhan Ekermen, CEO at Promer Qatar, comments: “We chose TOMRA Sorting as our technology partner on this project because the company already has a strong presence and excellent reputation within the Middle East. TOMRA’s experts have been involved in the development of the Al Khor plant for over three years and their technical input and regional knowledge have been invaluable.”
Tasos Bereketidis, Regional Director Middle East & Africa at TOMRA Sorting Recycling, adds: “Our bespoke technology enables maximum value to be extracted from the MSW waste stream, diverting it from landfill and increasing recovery of materials for re-sale. When operational, the Al Khor plant is predicted to achieve a fraction purity of up to 95 per cent and recovery yields of up to 85 per cent. The plant and its technology have been designed holistically to maximise quality, maximise capacity and minimise the need for manual labour. It’s a very exciting project to have been involved in right from the start and we’re sure it will play a key role in Qatar’s municipal waste management infrastructure."