MWCC has participated in the presentation, by the Community of Madrid, of the Madrid Nuevo Norte Materials Recovery Plant.

The Community of Madrid will reuse 800,000 tons of construction waste from Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNN) thanks to the new material treatment plant that is going to start up in this urban development.

It is a temporary and mobile infrastructure, developed with Crea Madrid Nuevo Norte, which will occupy an area of 38,000 square meters and will only be active exclusively while the works on this great sustainable urban planning project last. With this, tons of CO2 will stop being emitted into the atmosphere, by using it in the environment itself and reducing truck trips, equivalent to traveling five million kilometers. It is also designed to treat waste from four different urbanization projects that involve dismantling and demolition work.

In addition to the evident impact of more than 12,000 million euros on Madrid’s GDP, the regional government is committed to environmental values not only because it opts for a circular economic model, but also because 400,000 square meters of new green areas have been designed to support the urban plot.

The objective of this resource is to give a second life to the waste derived from the construction works of MNN’s key infrastructures, so that it can be later reused in minor uses, which will allow the reduction of the carbon footprint. Thus, construction and demolition waste for a weight equivalent to 40 times the Eiffel Tower will be recycled and reused within the project itself. In addition, the extraction in the Community of Madrid of a volume of aggregates similar to that of 6 ponds in the Retiro Park will be avoided.

To do this, this cutting-edge materials recovery center will house different types of work remains. It is estimated that 25,000 tons of metals, 15,000 of wood, 50,000 of bituminous mixtures (used for pavements and pavements), 91,000 of tiles, bricks and ceramic material, 248,000 million of concrete, and 248,000 million of stones and earth will be generated. All of them will be transported to the plant, where they will be crushed, sieved, recycled, compiled and transformed into new products.

Decree on aggregates in the construction sector

The regional government is processing an aggregate decree to further promote the circular economy in the construction sector. With this regulation, materials can be treated more efficiently and reused in new urban developments.

This order will allow, for example, to apply the recycled aggregates from the MNN works in new raw materials. In this way, the intensive extraction of materials will be avoided and indications for their treatment will also be established in order to ensure quality standards, with the control parameters that must be met, as well as their correct use in the different uses.

For example, the recycled aggregate may be applied to the pipe support beds; the material coming from the milling of asphalt or asphalt residues, on pavements or roads; and ceramic materials for the manufacture of concrete or to restore degraded spaces. This provision also aims to generate a green industry that promotes innovative projects in terms of sustainability and that attracts talent to the Community of Madrid.

Another novelty of this project, as Martín has highlighted, focuses on energy consumption. The infrastructures, buildings, homes, offices and equipment of MNN will be an international benchmark. For this, it is going to bet on the generation of renewable energy in situ and a district network is being projected for the air conditioning of the buildings. On the other hand, a water sensitive design is being carried out, that is, an urban design to minimize the water footprint and reduce drinking water consumption by 48%.