GDE Groupe Derichebourg called on Lybover AIR to install additional filtration systems on the ventilation of their metal shredder in Aubange in order to meet the new emission standards imposed by the Walloon region.

The Lybover way

GDE Groupe Derichebourg , one of the European leaders in the recycling and recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous waste, has been a major player in the circular economy and sustainable development since 1965, with almost 2.8 million tonnes of metal recycled in 2020. With 85 sites in Europe, GDE Groupe Derichebourg gives a second life to waste by recovering it and reintegrating it into the production process. At the Aubange site in Wallonia, GDE Groupe Derichebourg operates a 3,000 HP scrap metal shredder.

Compliance with the new emission standards

Since 2018, GDE Groupe Derichebourg has been committed to an ambitious approach aimed at limiting emissions from its Aubange site and thus meeting the particularly demanding standards that have been put in place in Wallonia. GDE Groupe Derichebourg therefore called on Lybover in 2018 to study this problem. Given the lack of feedback on such low thresholds, GDE set up a pilot installation in 2020 to study the reduction of its discharges and at the beginning of 2021, an order was placed with Lybover to install and commission a system for treating atmospheric emissions by ultrafiltration and activated carbon, in addition to the existing cyclone and wet scrubbing system.

Meeting such low emission levels, up to 2,000 times lower than the lowest thresholds in Europe, was a real leap into the unknown that we were able to overcome through teamwork.
– Gaylord RENARD, Responsible R&D GDE
The first stage consisted of the installation of a baghouse filter.
In a second step, an ultrafiltration system with filter cells from Lybover partner Keller Lufttechnik GmbH was installed.
Mobile activated carbon filters were added to treat the remaining gases.

A 2-stage project

The first phase of the project was to install a baghouse filter to improve the emissions from one of the aspiration networks for the first separation of waste from the shredder. This first phase was validated by the results of the emission measurements, which showed an impressive downward trend. We were on the right track. In a second step, an ultrafiltration system with filter cells from our partner Keller Lufttechnik GmbH was installed in order to achieve optimum removal of all residual particles. Mobile activated carbon filters from our partner DESOTEC were added to treat the gaseous part.

Lybover proved to be a real partner on the project and enabled us to meet the double challenge of respecting the thresholds and the very tight schedule that was imposed on us.
– Gaylord RENARD, Responsible R&D GDE

Delivered in record time

Despite the complicated global industrial context caused by the SARS-Covid pandemic, the required deadline for commissionng was respected. The results of several emission surveys allowed GDE Groupe Derichebourg to resume its metal recycling activity at its Aubange site in an optimal manner.