French SRF manufacturer boosts capacity with UNTHA shredder investment

Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) manufacturer Environnement 48 has increased the capacity of its waste processing facility in South West France, having invested in its second UNTHA shredder. Already one of the region's most established waste management com

At the heart of the site was an UNTHA XR Ripper waste shredder, transforming C&I and bulky wastes into a homogenous fraction of 80 % < 300 mm. This was then further refined to produce SRF. But with demand for Environnement 48’s expertise on the rise, the firm sought a second machine to boost the processing capabilities of the plant. An UNTHA XR3000C mobil-e shredder has therefore been commissioned and – with this electric-drive machine recording throughputs of 10 tonnes per hour – a total annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes is now expected.

This second piece of equipment is predominantly handling plastics and wood, which UNTHA claims is a testament to the XR’s shredding flexibility. “The XR3000C is reducing complex materials down to a homogenous 80 mm particle size,” explains UNTHA’s waste specialist for France, Michel Heuze. “The resulting product is a commercially attractive alternative fuel.”

Explaining what attracted the company to purchase this additional machine, Olivier Dalle, manager at Environnement 48 said: “We have been particularly impressed with the low energy consumption of this shredder. In fact, the Eco Drive concept – which guarantees up to 50 % less electricity consumption than conventional electro-hydraulic drive options – was a key selling point when we first visited UNTHA’s Austrian headquarters back in 2015. The XR ensures we uphold our environmental credentials whilst keeping costs low and achieving impressive performance levels.”

But service has proven equally as important as the product itself, claims Olivier. “Given the relationship we’ve built up with UNTHA in France, not to mention the level of technical support they have provided for the XR Ripper, this supplier was a logical choice for our second shredder investment,” he said.

Whilst the XR Cutter ensures a highly refined shred with particle sizing as low as 30 mm, the Ripper is used to shred untreated waste down to 100-400 mm, depending on the client’s requirements. The final fraction size is controlled by adjustable screen bars.