"We have a unique infrastructure in Europe, ranging from laboratory-scale operations to pilot plants"
We promote advanced technologies to overcome the challenges of recycling, waste management and the transition towards more sustainable industrial processes
TECNALIA is strengthening its leadership in waste recovery technologies with new capabilities in pyrolysis, gasification and plasma, enabling complex waste streams to be transformed into high-value resources. To do so, we have a unique infrastructure in Europe, ranging from laboratory-scale operations to pilot plants, facilitating the development of innovative solutions to the challenges faced by the sector.
Waste management is facing increasing regulatory, environmental and economic pressure. The increased volume of complex waste calls fortechnologies capable of recovering strategic materials, generating renewable fuels and reducing dependence on fossil resources.
Traditional mechanical recycling and energy recovery systems do not always provide reliable treatment of these waste streams, which opens the door to advanced thermal solutions, such as pyrolysis, gasification and plasma.
New technological capabilities
We have a comprehensive infrastructure to develop projects from the initial research stage to validation in a pilot plant. These facilities operate across a wide temperature range and different types of waste, from biomass and plastics to simulated low-level radioactive waste.
We have also developed projects that demonstrate the potential of these technologies:
- A flexible process to produce renewable fuels for heavy goods transport.
- Disruptive technologies to create a sustainable and competitive value chain in textile circularity.
- Recovery of metals from WEEE using pyrolysis.
- Production of liquid fuels from waste materials.
- Research into the production and purification of new circular raw materials through processes involving the separation and chemical recycling of plastic waste.
- New chemical recycling strategies for plastic waste and its reintegration into the value chain as raw materials.
- High-quality biochar from bio-waste, an opportunity to develop strategic sectors in the Basque Country.
- Recovery of strategic metals in energy recovery processes.
- Production of syngas from CDR derived from biomass and mixed waste.
We have also developed the PLASIND technology, which enables:
- Tar to be removed from synthesis gas.
- CO₂ and H₂O to be converted into CO and H₂ using plasma technology.
- The quality of syngas to be increased for energy and industrial applications.
We seek to transform complex waste into high-value resources using advanced technologies that are already proving their potential in sectors such as energy, recycling and the chemical industry.