20T/H Waste-to-Fuel RDF Pellet Manufacturing Plant in Egypt

Project Background: Closing the Loop in an Egyptian Industrial Hub

Egypt's 10th of Ramadan City is a cornerstone of the nation's manufacturing sector, hosting thousands of factories in textiles, food processing, packaging, and consumer goods.

This concentration of industry generates a vast and varied stream of solid waste, including food processing residues, leather trimmings, paper and cardboard packaging, plastic films, and rubber off-cuts. Historically, this waste posed a significant disposal challenge and cost for the zone's management. Simultaneously, a large cement plant located on the outskirts of the industrial zone faced high and volatile costs for imported coal.

The client, the zone's utility and services entity, identified a unique opportunity to create an internal circular economy. By investing in a specialized waste food leather paper plastic rubber RDF pellet manufacturing plant in Egypt, they could provide a valuable waste management service to their tenants while producing a commodity that would benefit another major local industry. The primary investment drivers were:

• Integrated Waste Management: To provide a comprehensive, on-site solution for the industrial zone's mixed solid waste, reducing reliance on distant landfills and mitigating associated environmental risks.
• Revenue Diversification and Cost Recovery: To transform waste management from a pure cost center into a revenue-generating operation through the sale of RDF pellets.
• Local Energy Substitution: To provide a locally sourced, cost-competitive alternative fuel to the cement industry, enhancing regional energy security and reducing the carbon footprint of local manufacturing.

Following a comprehensive waste audit in Q4 2022, the client engaged RICHI Machinery in March 2023. A detailed proposal for a plant capable of handling the specific waste mix was accepted, and a contract for the supply and commissioning of the RDF line was finalized in June 2023.

Project Overview and Key Specifications

Raw Material Profile: The Industrial Zone's Waste Stream as a Resource

Sourcing and Pre-processing: A key to the plant's success is the "waste characterization and delivery protocol" established with tenant factories. Waste generators are encouraged to provide segregated streams (e.g., separate plastic, separate paper) for a reduced gate fee. Comingled waste is accepted but undergoes more rigorous pre-sorting.

The deliberate inclusion of plastics and rubber, which have very high calorific values, is a calculated decision that significantly boosts the energy content of the final RDF pellet, making it a very attractive fuel for the cement kiln, which operates at temperatures high enough to cleanly combust these materials.

Facility Layout and Operational Flow

The RICHI RDF Pellet Line: Mastering a Mixed Waste Stream

1. Pre-sorting and Feeding: Incoming waste is inspected and, if necessary, undergoes manual sorting to remove oversized or non-conforming items (e.g., large metal objects, hazardous materials). The accepted feedstock is then pushed onto a feed conveyor.
2. Primary Coarse Shredding (1st Stage): The mixed waste enters the RICHI primary shredder. This robust, high-torque machine is designed to rip and tear the initial mix of food, wood, leather, and plastic into a coarse, irregular flake of 100-200mm. This stage is critical for volume reduction and initial size homogenization.
3. Magnetic Separation (1st Pass): The coarsely shredded material passes under a RICHI suspended self-cleaning magnet. This first pass removes the majority of ferrous metals (e.g., cans, wires, staples), protecting the downstream equipment.
4. Secondary Fine Shredding (2nd Stage): The material is then conveyed to the RICHI secondary shredder. This machine acts as a refining stage, further reducing the particle size to a more uniform fluff of less than 50mm. This step is crucial for creating a consistent feedstock that can be reliably pelletized.
5. Magnetic Separation (2nd Pass) and Homogenization: The finely shredded material passes under a second magnetic separator to capture any remaining ferrous metals. The now-cleaned and sized material is stored in one of three RICHI LC1600 hoppers. These hoppers serve a dual purpose: they act as a buffer between the shredding and pelleting stages, and their live-bottom design ensures a consistent and homogenous blend of the different waste materials is fed to the RDF pellet mills.
6. Densification and Pelletizing: The blended "fluff" is fed into three RICHI ring-die pellet mills. The combination of extreme pressure and the frictional heat generated plasticizes the natural and synthetic polymers in the mix (especially the plastics and the moisture from the food waste), binding the entire mixture into dense, durable pellets without the need for external additives.
7. Cooling and Storage: The hot pellets are cooled to ambient temperature to stabilize them before being conveyed to the finished product storage area, ready for dispatch.

Environmental Management and Industrial Compliance

• Dust and Odor Control: The entire processing hall is a negative-pressure environment. Dust generated at shredding and transfer points is captured by hoods and ducted to a central bag-house filter system. While food waste is a small component, the rapid processing and enclosed system prevent significant odor generation. The plant's air is periodically exchanged and treated if necessary.
• Noise Control: The facility is a fully enclosed building with acoustic cladding. High-noise equipment like the shredders are housed in isolated sections within the hall and mounted on vibration dampeners.
• Waste Management: The process is designed for maximum recovery. The primary product is the RDF pellet. Recovered ferrous metal is sold for recycling. Any non-processable rejects from the pre-sorting stage are minimal and are sent to a licensed landfill.
• Water Usage: The production process is entirely dry. The minimal moisture required for the pelletizing process is provided by the inherent moisture in the food and green waste feedstock.

Product Quality and Cement Kiln Application

Economic Viability and Investment Breakdown

Investment Prospects in Egypt and Concluding Remarks

The successful operation of this waste food leather paper plastic rubber RDF pellet manufacturing plant in Egypt represents a paradigm shift in waste management for the MENA region. Egypt's growing industrial base and large population guarantee a long-term, increasing supply of suitable waste materials. The government's focus on environmental sustainability and energy security creates a supportive policy environment for such circular economy projects.

This project proves that complex industrial waste streams can be not just managed, but valorized at a large scale. It provides a replicable model for other industrial zones across Egypt and the wider region.

Why RICHI Machinery was the Technology Partner of Choice:

• The client selected RICHI Machinery for our proven capability to engineer systems that handle mixed and challenging waste streams. Our HY-series shredders are built to process everything from soft food waste to tough rubber and plastic, and our RDF pellet mills are renowned for their ability to densify heterogeneous materials without binders.
• We delivered an integrated solution that was commissioned on schedule and has demonstrated exceptional operational reliability. Our partnership with a local service agent in Egypt ensures prompt technical support and maintenance.

For industrial zone operators, municipal solid waste managers, and strategic investors looking to address the dual challenge of waste and energy costs, this project serves as a compelling benchmark. RICHI Machinery possesses the specific engineering expertise and project execution experience to deliver a successful waste food leather paper plastic rubber RDF pellet manufacturing plant in Egypt or any other location facing similar challenges.

Contact RICHI Machinery to explore how we can design a profitable RDF solution to transform your mixed waste stream into a sustainable energy resource.

RICHI Machinery – Engineering Circular Solutions for a Sustainable Tomorrow.