UTE RM2, the consortium made up of Valoriza Medioambiente, Acciona, ASCAN and OHL, has added eight additional AMS CL1-N side loaders to its waste collection fleet to service the City of Madrid. The decision to purchase these eight additional units was made after UTE RM2 signed an extension of the contract with Madrid City Council in 2018 to expand the organic waste collection service to four districts of Lot 2, located in the peripheral area of Eastern Madrid: Ciudad Lineal, Hortaleza, San Blas-Canillejas and Vicalvaro. The expansion of collecting the organic waste fraction arose from the positive results of a pilot test carried out collecting organic waste in small areas in three of those districts (Ciudad Lineal, Hortaleza and San Blas-Canillejas) of Lot 2 during 2017.
The new side loader units have been purchased from GeesinkNorba Spain and are of the 22m3 AMS CL1-22N type. They are mounted onto CNG powered Iveco Stralis AD260S27.YPS AUT.RSU compressed natural gas (CNG) powered 270 horsepower (HP) 6×2 rear steer 26-ton chassis. To reduce driver fatigue, each chassis has been fitted with the Allison 3500R Series six-speed automatic transmission, complete with retarder. All of Madrid’s waste collection truck fleet are CNG powered, which helps reduce carbon emissions in and around the city.
UTE RM2 had operated seventeen similar units in its fleet for the last two years and whole life costs, reliability and positive driver feedback were key factors when deciding to buy the AMS product again. UTE RM2 also felt that GeesinkNorba’s after-sales service is far superior to other equipment manufacturers another reason to purchase the AMS units.
These new units will also collect recyclables such as mixed plastics and steel and aluminum cans placed inside 2400 liter containers. Residual waste placed inside 3200-liter containers will also be collected. These containers are sited in the same communal collection points as the 2400 liter containers for the placement of organic waste. The AMS units will empty these when they are not required to collect organic waste. The AMS units will work three different collection shifts; morning, afternoon and night, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to serve the residents of Eastern Madrid, which has a population of 1,164,212.
GIS/GPS systems have been fitted in the new vehicles which provide geographic information 24 hours a day showing the vehicles’ position on the waste collection routes. RFID aerials fitted on the new vehicles’ will read the tags on the side loader containers, providing details of the time the container has been emptied. This works by each container’s tag having a unique identification code (ID). The reporting of damaged containers is also recorded through the RFID system. This software helps UTE RM2 improve the efficiency of the waste collection routes and, where damaged containers have been reported, speeds replacement. The data is sent to Madrid City Council to show them in real-time that all of the containers have been emptied in UTE RM2’S collection zone.
New jobs will also be created with the expansion of the organic waste collection service across the four additional districts of Lot 2. This is good news for the local economy and shows UTE RM2’S commitment to supporting local employment. The AMS side loaders will deliver the organic, packaging wastes and residual waste 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the Valdemingomez waste treatment plant. This facility is owned by Madrid City Council and processes all of the city’s organic, packaging and residual waste. There are three separate waste treatment plants in the Valdemingomez complex as well as a special pre-treatment and Biomethanisationplant for processing the organic waste fraction. Waste collection vehicles will deliver the organic waste fraction to either this plant or to the three other waste treatment plants when collecting recyclable and residual waste. This is dependent on the zone of the city in which they have been working.
In conclusion, UTE RM2 has improved the organic waste collection system in the eastern part of Madrid City by its expansion across four zones of Lot 2. This has been achieved through its initial pilot project in 2017 which revealed positive results. The expansion of this service will help Madrid’s citizens increase their recycling rates and will ultimately help Madrid City Council improve its recycling/composting rate.