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The mix makes the difference
Waste incineration plants turn solid waste into electricity or district heating. However, just how efficiently they operate also depends on the material that is fed into them. WasteAnt analyses this with the help of artificial intelligence and has been presented with the KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award for its work.
Confirmation
"For us, this award is proof that we have achieved something. This recognition is a huge push", the two founders of WasteAnt were delighted to win the state of Bremen in the KfW Entrepreneurs' Award 2023.
The large lorry slowly reverses up to the narrow ramp. Shortly afterwards, solid waste slides into a deep shaft belonging to a waste disposal company in Bremen. A piece of fabric, a nappy and a broken mirror can be seen. Christian Müller, one of the founders of WasteAnt, explains:
"Everything we throw in the non-recyclables bin at home ends up here. It is solid waste that is not recycled. But that does not mean it’s worthless."
Efficiency
The composition of the solid waste affects the energy generated by the waste-to-energy plant. WasteAnt’s technology optimises this process.
Around 12 percent of solid waste in Germany is converted to thermal energy and represents an important part of the circular economy. The heat generated during combustion produces water vapour, which drives a turbine and produces electricity. Another proportion of the water vapour is used for district heating. The amount of energy that can be generated also depends on the solid waste fed in – its composition, which should be as consistent as possible, is crucial for this. This is why it is mixed well before incineration. This task is the responsibility of the person operating the crane. They keep an eye on the solid waste, mix it with the grab and decide what goes into incineration.
AI in the power plant
Impact
“We help power plants to work in an environmentally friendly way and this impact motivates the entire team,” explained co-founder Christian Müller (right).
At the Bremen plant, WasteAnt’s technology brings more transparency to important processes. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this. It is housed in green boxes, slightly larger than a shoe box. The cameras installed there are aimed at the delivery and identify problematic materials, such as long metal rods or car tyres, so that they can be filtered out. The unloading process takes ten minutes and during this time, the sensor boxes will scan 20 tonnes of solid waste.
Before incineration, the solid waste is stored in a waste hopper. There are cameras here, too. The software determines the heat value of the materials and this assists the control system to achieve optimum utilisation. AI also forms the basis for this. It learns with every type of material it detects and improves automatically. The analysis is sent directly to the person on the crane and contains information on how to put together the next load for the furnace so that a constant temperature is achieved. The system issues a warning if it detects dangerous objects in the material – such as a gas bottle that could explode in the furnace – and, in the worst case scenario, could trigger a shutdown. It also makes predictions, such as when the heat output will drop, and suggests what to do about it.
Safe and clean
More from solid waste
Waste-to-energy plants extract heat and energy from solid waste. WasteAnt uses artificial intelligence to help optimise this process.
The constant utilisation of capacity that is achieved in this way also makes the system more environmentally friendly – not only does it generate more energy, it also consumes less energy and fewer chemical substances to clean up the resulting emissions.
The systems are in use at two locations in Bremen. And Christian Müller, who like his co-founders is more of a “techie” as he jokingly puts it, is now at the waste-to-energy plant more often.
"As a team with a lot of experience in robotics and machine learning, we have found the ideal industry that will benefit greatly from our innovation. And the fact that we are also helping the environment and getting so much out of solid waste is also a great motivation for our team – it's our very own source of fuel," he laughed.
Published on KfW Stories on 18 June 2024.
The described project contributes to the following United Nationsʼ Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 4: Quality education
Refusing people access to education means depriving them of a basic human right – and of important development prospects for individuals and society. Education enables people to improve their political, social, cultural, and economic situations. Worldwide, 58 million children and 63 million young people still do not have access to primary and secondary schools. 90 per cent of all children with a disability never go to school. 781 million people are illiterate. 7.5 million people with functional illiteracy live in Germany alone.
All United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015. At its heart is a list of 17 goals for sustainable development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our world should become a place where people are able to live in peace with each other in ways that are ecologically compatible, socially just, and economically effective.
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