A more circular economy – muy bien!

Madrid is now focusing its waste collection strongly on a circular economy and introducing standardised containers and waste bins. In addition, the Spaniards are also renewing the fleet of collection vehicles and are now relying on 129 trucks with a CNG engine and biogas in the tank, as well as 16 electric vehicles.

Two of the total of 36 Iveco Stralis with CNG drive, which have been going on CO₂-neutral refuse collection tours in the Spanish capital for quite some time. Source: Iveco

In as early as 2019, the city council of Madrid added 36 CNG-powered Iveco Stralis to its fleet, which went on a collection tour for the municipal waste collection department in the Spanish capital. The CNG vehicles with a Cursor 8 engine, an output of 330 HP as well as eight CNG tanks and 640 litres of gas each on board performed brilliantly with a long range. Thanks to the use of biogas, they were even operated in an almost CO₂-neutral manner. In addition, the fleet of collection vehicles impressed with its excellent cost-effectiveness. It resulted in fuel savings of 40%, with the total cost of ownership (TCO) 10% lower than a diesel vehicle – and with the same transport capacity.

So it’s no wonder that UTE PreZero-Urbaser continues to rely on this proven engine technology. This is because the company, which will continue to be responsible for waste collection for more than one million Madrid citizens in the districts of Arganzuela, Carabanchel, Usera, Puente de Vallecas, Villaverde and Villa de Vallecas over the next six years, is continuing to expand its CNG fleet. A total of 145 new vehicles with alternative engines are being used, including 129 trucks with a CNG engine and biogas in the tank plus 16 electric vehicles. As a result, the Spanish city’s waste collection fleet is likely to be among the most environmentally friendly in the whole of Europe.

Madrid politicians have the advantages of CNG vehicles with biogas in the tank and the circular economy explained to them on one of the 129 new CNG vehicles. Source: Iveco/UTE PreZero-Urbaser

At the same time as the first new CNG vehicles, the so-called “containerisation” of waste collection and transport services was introduced in Madrid. This is fully geared towards promoting the circular economy, enabling a more sustainable way of transporting waste and ensuring that waste containers are also visually uniform throughout the entire municipal area. José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of Madrid, is convinced that “This will also increase the efficiency of the collection of around 1.2 million tonnes of waste per year”.

One of the new Iveco vehicles in use in Madrid. Source: Iveco/UTE PreZero-Urbaser

“Madrid will also take another step towards a circular economy by giving waste a second life through the separate collection thereof,” explains Sergio Cabellos, Regional Director of PreZero. “In particular, organic waste that can be converted into green energy, as is currently happening at the Valdemingómez biogas treatment plant which supplies more than 35,000 households.” An important element at PreZero-Urbaser, which is committed to sustainability and low emissions, is also the management of the fleet with the help of an on-board computer system and real-time GPS data, which enables the optimisation of waste collection routes. (pd/jas, 1 December 2022)