Covanta, TARTECH Target Ash Monofills

The waste management and renewable energy firm Covanta Energy Corp., Morristown, N.J., has announced a new joint venture with Germany-based TARTECH eco industries AG. The joint venture, Covanta TARTECH LLC, aims to target the recovery and recycling of metals from energy-from-waste (EFW) ash monofills in North America.

Covanta TARTECH says it will use a highly specialized technology provided by TARTECH for recovering metals remaining in EFW facility ash that has been deposited in monofills. The technology is designed to maximize the recovery of ferrous and nonferrous material for recycling.

“Following an extensive review of our options to recover more metal for recycling from our operations, we are thrilled to be partnering with TARTECH,” says Seth Myones, COO of Covanta Energy. “Their breakthrough technology, combined with Covanta’s know-how, will deliver a high quality metal product that can now be recycled instead of being lost in a monofill,”

The joint venture will develop projects at Covanta ash monofills and will look to partner with other municipal and commercial ash monofill owners. This partnership will offer a range of benefits, including access to Covanta’s operational and environmental knowledge and the exclusive rights to TARTECH’s technology.

“We are excited about this joint venture and confident that we will add significant value for any ash monofill owner that chooses to work with us,” says Alexander Kalckreuth, TARTECH CEO. “The key to recovering metals from ash monofills will be to properly prepare the material using our highly specialized technology. With Covanta’s market presence as a world leading energy-from-waste company and operational expertise, they are the perfect partner for us.”

In 2011, Covanta says its 41 EFW facilities in North America recovered more than 400,000 tons of ferrous and more than 15,000 tons of nonferrous metal for recycling. With the new partnership, Covanta says it will recover even more metal that was previously unrecoverable at EFW facilities and will avoid adding to the volume of material being deposited in ash monofills.

Recovering these important metal resources will significantly extend the life of ash monofills, according to Covanta.