Slovenia’s ultra-modern hazardous waste treatment centre

The investment in the treatment centre will help to raise environmental safety standards and improve safety standards to beyond what are commonplace in hazardous waste treatment. Saubermacher Slovenia has not raised permits for the newly achieved capacities, so only the safety measures will be increased. The modernisation and expansion of the plant are important steps for safety in the acceptance of hazardous waste. With the technical equipment that it has in place, Saubermacher Slovenia currently operates the most state-of-the-art, high-tech centre for solid and liquid hazardous waste in the country. Within the Saubermacher Group, Kidričevo is the second largest plant of its kind.

Since 2014, around 10 million Euros have been invested in the modernisation and further development of the site, including expansion of the storage areas, purchase of additional land, expansion of the HGV parking area and expansion of the automatic fire-extinguishing system, including the extinguishing water reservoir. All of this ensures that waste can be accepted at Kidričevo fully in accordance with the environmental permit. ‘The modernisation and expansion of our site in Kidričevo is an important step in Slovenia’s disposal security. It will allow us to give our customers safe services in the long term,’ explains Ralf Mittermayr, CEO of Saubermacher AG. ‘At the same time, we are also able to achieve important synergies with our Austrian plants in Premstätten and Trofaiach,’ explains Mittermayr. The centre will provide customers with safe services in the long term.

The plant in Kidričevo will primarily treat hazardous waste from industry and households, such as acids, lyes, oils, workshop waste and sludge from the disposal of colourants and paints, as well as contaminated earth, and prepare it for reuse. The hazardous waste treatment centre in Kidričevo has all requisite building approvals; the company is now waiting for the operating permit.

The entire plant has been configured in accordance with BAT (Best Available Technology) and equipped with a comprehensive technical and automatic fire-protection system. All technological processes are controlled and monitored by computer. The fire-protection concept was implemented in accordance with the VdS Directives and Article 8 of the regulations concerning fire safety in buildings. These measures help to reduce the hazard potential for people, animals and the environment. Under the fire-protection measures, the site has been sub-divided into fire and smoke compartments designed to impede the spread of fire and enable safe evacuation of personnel. Active fire-protection systems have also been installed, including multi-criteria detectors, a fire-alarm system, safety lighting, an automatic extinguishing system, smoke detection and smoke and heat extraction systems. All emissions are monitored continuously. The fire protection helps to protect personnel, the site as a whole and nearby industry and residents.

The Kidričevo site is located on an industrial site with its own professional fire service. Protection of residents and the environment receives high priority. All air emissions are cleansed with a special system and the site has been designed with waterproof concrete and a collecting basin with numerous additional oil collecting basins to protect the air and ground from contamination. Core components of the site are the chemical/physical treatment system with automated process control system, the state-of-the-art laboratory, special storage and treatment infrastructure, waste reduction area and administration building.