Waste sorting station, Porto, Portugal
In Porto, LIPOR waste management and its associated municipalities faced a significant challenge: how to align with the European Union’s stringent goals for bio-waste management while promoting a local circular economy. The need to improve the quantity and quality of recyclable and recoverable materials required innovative solutions.
For the municipalities of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde, food waste from residential and businesses was a growing concern. Without local solutions, valuable food waste risked being mixed with other waste streams, making recycling of other waste streams costly and often impossible. This results in all waste being dumped into landfills, driving up costs and emissions while hindering sustainability goals. Food waste had to be taken out before it contaminates other waste streams.
The turning point: choosing on-site food waste valorization
LIPOR’s strategy centred on promoting the recovery of food waste through local efforts. Alongside the development of the Green Waste Composting Park in Laúndos, LIPOR decided to tackle food waste specifically by installing a Waste Transformer ADX5 biodigester at the Póvoa de Varzim Transfer Station. This decision marked the commitment to handle food waste separately, paving the way for a more efficient and circular waste management approach.
The solution
The Waste Transformer ADX5 biodigester installed at the Póvoa de Varzim Transfer Station is designed to process food waste selectively collected from approximately 18,000 inhabitants. It aims to process roughly 700-900 tons of food waste annually.
Key components of the local setup:
Depacking technology
Food waste is separated from contaminants mechanically, ensuring the highest quality input for the biodigester when food waste is mixed with non-organic waste. This is supplied and operated by another supplier.
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Energy generation
Biogas produced by the biodigester is converted into electricity and heat with two CHPs installed inside the Waste Transformer.
Five 20ft containers with digester tanks on top
The processed food waste is converted into a bio-slurry and pumped into the 5 digester tanks, where it is transformed into energy.
Achieving goals
With the Waste Transformer biodigester in place, LIPOR is achieving measurable progress toward its goals:
- Local valorization of food waste: Transforming food waste into clean energy.
- Aligning with EU Directives: Meeting the bio-waste recovery targets set by the National Waste Management Plan and PERSU 2030.
- Operational efficiency: Reducing reliance on landfill and incineration plants, saving costs and emissions.
What's next?
LIPOR continues to innovate, aiming to use the energy and fertilizer produced by the Waste Transformer to enhance local sustainability projects. LIPOR wants to continue investing in prevention, reuse, recycling, energy recovery, decarbonization and investing in increasingly modern waste treatment systems and infrastructures and the consequent elimination of landfills.
Your food waste solution is within reach
If food waste is a challenge for your municipality or organization, this is your solution. The on-site Waste Transformer doesn’t just address waste management—it creates opportunities for sustainability, efficiency, and community impact. Contact us to discuss how we can help you transform food waste challenges into solutions tailored to your needs.
Let’s talk opportunities
We're here to help businesses understand their food waste management practices and create a more sustainable operation. Together, we can tackle one of your biggest environmental polluters – food waste!
