ALGERIA – Inertam, a subsidiary of the French group Europlasma, has won a tender from the Algerian electricity and gas company Sonelgaz to manage asbestos waste from the dismantling of the steam power plant near the port of Djen Djen.
According to the company, the contract covers the treatment of 7,000 tonnes of asbestos waste over the next three years.
Inertam was selected in July 2023, following a call for tenders issued by the Algerian electricity and gas company (Sonelgaz).
To respond to the call for expressions of interest, Inertam joined forces with a consortium of Algerian companies made up of Géant général service, Entreprise des travaux hydrauliques et protection de l’Environnement (ETHPE) and Sogeb Décontamination.
The company will collect and recondition asbestos waste from the Djen Djen steam power plant.
The waste will then be sent to Inertam’s plant in Morcenx-la-Nouvelle, France, for vitrification within six months of being received on-site, “in accordance with Basel Convention standards”.
The target has been set at 7,000 tonnes of asbestos waste in 3 years, corresponding to total sales of nearly €15 million, “adjustable according to the actual tonnage and type of waste received”, says Europlasma.
Inertam’s very high-temperature process destroys the toxicity of asbestos waste and transforms it into an inert, recycled material called Cofalit.
This by-product is used for energy storage in solar power plants. The company is authorized to process 8,000 tonnes of asbestos waste a year from more than 160 countries that are signatories to the Basel Convention.
In addition to developing the hazardous waste treatment sector in Algeria, the challenge is to protect the environment and public health.
When inhaled, asbestos waste can reach the pulmonary alveoli and cause serious illness. Asbestos fibers also enter the environment through natural and anthropogenic pathways.
This new contract follows the signing of cooperation agreements with Algerian companies NCC Environment and SO.GE.B.ZRITA, for the collection, transport and treatment of special waste.
Meanwhile, in February, the National company for the construction of railway materials and equipment (FERROVIAL) was awarded a contract to manufacture incinerators for special and hazardous waste for the holding company Algeria Chemical Specialities (ACS).
The group wants to reduce the environmental impact of its subsidiaries in Algeria.
The partnership agreement was signed on 1 February 2023 between the managing director of the holding company Algeria Chemical Specialities (ACS), Samir Yahaw, and Bouyoussef Lamri, the managing director of the National company for the construction of railway materials and equipment (FERROVIAL) based in Annaba, Algeria.
The agreement covers the manufacture and installation of special and hazardous waste incineration plants.
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