OUR TECHNOLOGY
07
REMOTE SITES
Specific challenges when it comes to waste disposal
Work camps at mines, oil and gas projects and large infrastructure projects can become large self-contained communities. Their remoteness and the sensitivity of the environment pose specific challenges when it comes to waste disposal.
Remote camps often produce a disproportionately high amount of food waste per head. This waste can be difficult and costly to dispose of. Compact and efficient, HotRot’s units turn this waste into compost, a resource that can be used to grow produce for the camp or local community or to assist with site restoration and reforestation. The HotRot technology is simple to operate, robust and uses minimal power while transforming putrescible organic waste, which is smelly and attracts vermin, to stable compost that is soil-like to touch and smell.
THE HOTROT BUSINESS CASE
The Business Case
Often the issue of waste disposal at remote camps associated with mining, oil and gas or large infrastructure projects is ignored in the planning stages, or if planned for it is often in the form of a landfill or tip.
Similarly, materials that can be used for site restoration, landscaping or even growing food for the camp are assumed to come from off-site during the project planning process.
There is a disconnect and a failure to recognise that the very waste the camp will produce can become a valuable resource and the basis of a sustainable operation.
Traditional Waste Disposal Costs are Increasing
In addition, land disposal of waste (via landfills or tips) are becoming difficult to establish resulting in many camps being faced with the need to transport waste significant distances - in some cases all the way back to the nearest large settlement with infrastructure to deal with the material.
Transportation of waste is not only costly, it takes up transportation capacity and often requires specialist vehicles or containers. Storage of waste on site can also cause issues with odours or animal attraction.
Waste food production at remote camps is high: 350-600g/person/day, meaning that even a modest camp of 200 people can produce a significant amount of waste and larger camps of 3000-5000 people can be producing as much waste as towns with a population of 2 or 3 times this.
Reduce Costs and Support Communities
Composting on-site at remote locations offers the potential to reduce costs for waste disposal, improve the performance of restoration projects or support local communities through the establishment of community garden enterprises – supporting a “grow-local, eat-local” culture.
Technical Benefits
A HotRot on-site composting facility can process all organic waste produced at a work camp, including food waste from mess halls and kitchens and sludge from a wastewater treatment plant.
The system can also deal with paper and cardboard. In order to minimise the need for wood or tree prunings, etc., for use as an amendment we also offer the HotRot Screwtech dewatering unit.
Waste wood in the form of shipping dunnage, packing timber and pallets and construction off-cuts is generally available for grinding or chipping as suitable bulker (Amendments and bulkers).
The Remote on-site composting flow chart illustrates the composting of canteen food waste, paper and cardboard plus wood and dunnage, etc. In this example excess clean paper and cardboard is diverted to recycling or on-site incineration.
Built to Last
The HotRot technology is designed to ensure a long service life and is one of the reasons it has been selected for use at several remote mining and oil and gas projects.
Many components are manufactured from stainless steel, fibreglass and other wear or corrosion resistant materials.
Support and Maintenance
Routine maintenance consists of regular grease and annual gearbox oil changes, all of which can be undertaken by any competent operator.
Global Composting offers a range of on-going support packages ranging from on-call technical support to routine and extended annual maintenance/inspection.
TECHNICAL FEATURES AND BENEFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Environmental Benefits
On-site composting of food waste at remote camps can provide material for restoration, landscaping or support of local communities.
Tree Seedling Growth
Tree seedling survival was increased by 75% using a mix of locally produced compost and local soils for one camp when compared to using local soil alone.
Composting can enhance seedling growth resulting in more rapid stabilisation of banks, cuttings and slopes. Compost can also be placed in mesh bags and used as silt traps or for forming containment ponds.
Food Production
Where compost isn’t required on-site, i.e. at a camp associated with an underground mine, compost can be used to support the local production of vegetables.
Odour Free Manageable Waste
In the rare occasions where no local use of the compost is possible, composting on-site still offers benefits by converting waste in to a relatively dry stable product that does not smell or attract vermin and animals. Such a product is relatively easy to transport off site in standard vehicles and can be safely stored until a large truck can be filled.
The HotRot composting system eliminates food as a source of odour and nuisance. Waste is processed as it is produced and a stable product generated.