Singapore – Singapore’s National Environment Agency has awarded a tender to develop and operate a facility to recover metals from incineration ash, it said Monday.

The facility, to be built by M/s REMEX Mineralstoff GmbH, will recover ferrous and non-ferrous metals from incineration bottom ash. It will be part of the National Environment Agency’s long- term strategy to manage solid waste. It is also part of government plans to be more resource-efficient.

REMEX will invest about 15 million Singapore dollars (12 million U.S. dollars) in the facility. Construction on the project will begin in October and operations are expected to start by mid- 2015, with a capacity of up to 1,800 tons of incineration bottom ash.

Currently, ferrous metals between 10mm and 300mm in size are recovered from the ash using magnetic separators at the incineration plants, and the residual ash is sent to the Semakau Landfill. The conventional treatment system leaves the non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium and copper, and the remaining smaller pieces of ferrous metals that are still of economic value, intact in the residual ash.

“NEA is currently studying possibilities for ash reuse, which will help resource-scarce Singapore to further increase resource recovery, as well as extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill,” said Ronnie Tay, chief executive officer of the National Environment Agency. Source: Xinhua