The Tarragona waste-to-energy plant, owned by the Mancomunitat para la Gestió Integral de Residus del Camp de Tarragona and operated by SIRUSA, has taken a decisive step towards a more sustainable future with the installation of the new turbogenerator group. The reception and assembly work of the turbine and generator was carried out on June 18 and 19, at the plant located in the Polígon Riu Clar (Tarragona).
This new equipment, which will come into operation in the coming months, is the heart of the plant’s modernization project and will allow the generation of up to 17.88 megawatts of electricity, significantly increasing the efficiency of the process. The aim is for the plant to achieve a net electrical efficiency of more than 20%, in line with the requirements established by the European regulations on Best Available Technologies from 1 January 2026.
A more efficient and more sustainable plant
With this improvement, the plant will be able to generate more electricity with less waste, which represents a direct gain in efficiency and sustainability. In addition, the growth of high-efficiency selective collection in the municipalities of the Mancomunitat , together with the future launch of a pre-treatment plant, will open the door to serving a wider territory, including the whole of southern Catalunya.
The entity’s Strategic Plan includes the revamping (modernization) of all existing facilities at the Mancomunitat plant. This first phase, currently underway and with an investment of around €50 million, includes the turbogenerator, new building, the air condenser, and the entire power block, as well as the overall general and auxiliary service facilities of the plant.
A second phase to continue moving forward
The plant improvement project does not stop there. In the coming years, the company will begin the second phase of the modernization plan, focused on the renovation and improvement of the boiler furnaces, with the aim of making them more efficient, expanding capacity, and further reducing the environmental impact of the process. This second phase will be rolled out over the next 6 years, with an estimated investment of around 120 million euros.
A pre-treatment plant is also being planned to separate the unsuitable waste that is deposited in the grey container and receive at the plant only the residual and reject fraction. The estimated investment in this infrastructure is 60 million euros.
With all this, the Mancomunitat and SIRUSA as the management company reaffirm their commitment to a modern, efficient waste management model aligned with the energy transition and the circular economy.
