Turning operational data into knowledge to support energy recovery

WasteAnt has been selected as part of the Valorsul 2024 Open Innovation programme to develop a solution based on artificial intelligence and computer vision capable of increasing visibility into the waste pit and supporting operational decision-making at municipal waste-to-energy facilities.

The solution uses cameras and artificial intelligence algorithms to continuously monitor the waste stored in the pit, enabling the generation of real-time information on its distribution, homogeneity, volume and the presence of potentially problematic materials. Key features already available include the detection of contaminants, thermal assessment of the waste and analysis of the homogeneity of the stored material.

Although the project is still under development, the results obtained so far clearly demonstrate the technology’s potential. For the first time, Valorsul now has a structured and historical overview of developments in the waste pit, consolidating operational information that was previously neither systematised nor continuously available.

This capability enables the analysis of trends, the monitoring of changes in stored volumes, the identification of contaminants and a better understanding of how waste behaves over time. The information generated may, in future, support decisions relating to landfill management, boiler feeding and the stability of the energy recovery process. At the same time, continuous monitoring of waste and the identification of non-compliant materials may contribute to a better understanding of the sources of contamination, supporting the development of corrective actions and awareness-raising measures upstream of the facility.

New functionalities are currently being developed, including mass estimation models, operational trend analysis and tools to support process optimisation. As the project evolves and more data is collected, the operational value of the solution is expected to increase progressively.

Although it is still in a phase of technological consolidation, the project has already demonstrated strong potential to improve understanding of the waste received, increase the traceability of the operation and support more informed decisions regarding energy recovery.

More than just a monitoring tool, WasteAnt is creating a new capacity for observation and operational insight, enabling a better understanding of the waste received and paving the way for future applications of artificial intelligence in the plant’s operations.

Key figures: 

👁️ Continuous monitoring of the waste pit

🤖 Artificial intelligence and computer vision

⚠️ Automatic detection of contaminants

📊 Digital record of waste trends

🔥 Potential support for the stability of energy recovery

🚀 Project under development with promising preliminary results

Find out more about WasteAnt: WasteAnt GmbH - KI-basiertes Abfallqualitätsmanagement

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