Valdemingómez Technology Park, which has been managing the capital’s waste since 1978, received a visit from the participants in the Indian Leaders Programme, to allow them to observe its facilities and operation. José Luis Cifuentes, Head of Information and Promotion, accompanied the group and showed them the work at the park regarding waste collection and classification, to be subsequently sent to recycling companies, reused at the centre’s own facilities or sent to landfills.
The Leaders showed an interest in its operation system from a business point of view, specifically in the way the whole system is organised, from the companies in charge of managing the EPR or Extended Producer Responsibility and the recycling fee paid by manufacturers for their packages to the auction system for the recycling companies. Educating the public to dispose of waste correctly was also an item on the agenda, as the purer the content of the bins, the lower the treatment costs. The Leaders had the opportunity to see the technology park’s classrooms, visited by 7,000 students, to gain awareness on the need to recycle correctly and reuse when possible.
José Luis Cifuentes also described the biogas production processes, a technology used at Valdemingómez in Spain and just three other centres in Europe. The use of the gases generated by the landfill for the generation of electricity was also very interesting for the Leaders. Mr. Kunal Purohit stated that cities like Mumbai have a similar problem with gases due to the large amount of waste they manage, and this system could be applicable there too.
In addition to the theoretical talk, the SICF delegation carried out field trips to the facilities, specifically to the sorting plant at La Paloma, where they were able to study the systems used to reuse recyclable materials and prepare them for distribution to companies at a later stage. Shri Sahadeva Singh mentioned the case of Delhi, which faces a great challenge in terms of waste sorting.
They also visited Las Lomas energy valorisation plant, where non-usable waste is burned to produce electricity, and the biomass plant. Lastly, they also visited Las Dehesas biomethanization plant, the output of which is converted into biogas. Valdemingómez Technology Park produces 30 million cubic metres of biogas a year, used as biofuel and for the generation of electricity. In this regard, the centre is not only self-sufficient, but also exports two-thirds of its production to the network.
After the visit to Valdemingómez Technology Park, the Indian Leaders had a working lunch at the restaurant Puerta 57, located inside the Santiago Bernabéu football stadium. From there, they were able to enjoy a view of the pitch just a few days after Real Madrid won its 11th European Cup.
5th Indian Leaders Programme report.
Indian Leaders profiles.
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