enfinium, a leading UK energy-from-waste (EfW) operator, announces the integration of innovative visual-artificial intelligence technology to improve the efficiency of its Ferrybridge 2 facility in Knottingley, West Yorkshire. The technology was supplied by Wasteer, a German provider of cutting-edge analysis software for energy-from-waste plants.
With the new system, advanced camera technology powered by AI will automatically analyse incoming waste to detect contaminants before they cause operational problems. The system can also issue real-time alerts and will record data on the waste stream. Wasteer employs a proprietary database as well as Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI.
The automation will enable enfinium to analyse its waste streams more accurately, improving plant efficiency and reliability, and maximising uptime. This approach can, for instance, reduce plant downtimes by about 30%, cut operating supplies by up to 8%, and increase throughput by around 2%.
Wasteer’s technology has been adapted by several leading European energy-from-waste companies, however, this is the first time the technology is being deployed in the UK.
Chris Bebbington, Group Head of Asset Management at enfinium, said: “enfinium is always looking for innovations in technology that can optimise our plant efficiency. Wasteer’s AI technology, which allows real-time, automated analysis of incoming waste, will give us a wealth of data to base operational decisions on and enable early detection of impurities in the waste stream, preventing any issues before they arise. By partnering with Wasteer, who have a strong track record in Europe, we’re continuing to drive innovation and efficiency in the UK’s energy-from-waste sector.”
Benedict von Spankeren, Founder of Wasteer, said: “We are thrilled to partner with enfinium, our first UK client, and to support their commitment to be a leading innovator in the UK’s energy-from-waste sector. enfinium has shown a clear dedication to leveraging cutting-edge technologies, and we’re excited to contribute to their efforts with our AI-powered solutions.”
ENDS
About enfinium
enfinium is a leading UK energy from waste operator with four operational sites in the UK, in West Yorkshire, Kent and Flintshire, and two in construction. enfinium diverts 2.3 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste from climate-damaging landfill, putting it to good use by turning it into home grown energy, enough to power 500,000 UK homes. enfinium’s ambition is to transform its facilities into local ‘decarbonisation hubs’ powered by the millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste the UK will produce for decades to come. Using existing energy from waste infrastructure, enfinium could contribute to heat networks, produce electrolytic hydrogen, or use carbon capture technology to provide durable, high quality carbon removals which will be critical for the UK to achieve net zero by 2050. For more on enfinium, please visit www.enfinium.co.uk.
About Wasteer
Wasteer enables intuitive analysis and control of waste streams. We digitise waste-specific knowledge. In doing so, we provide the digital tools to not only consolidate and visualise existing knowledge about customers and waste but also to gain new insights from process data or imaging technologies. Additionally, we analyse waste using specialized camera technology and AI. We leverage existing process data from plants to obtain further waste-specific insights and provide the necessary hardware to analyse and categorize waste through camera technologies, sensors, and artificial intelligence. Based on waste-specific knowledge and the individual needs of the plants, we manage waste accordingly to reduce emissions and increase profitability. Website: https://www.wasteer.de/.
