The Madrid city council is advancing initiatives to continuously improve the Las Dehesas Treatment Centre, located in the Valdemingómez Technology Park. Recently, the Governing Board approved a new contract that combines the management and maintenance of the facilities with works to optimise the treatment of domestic waste, with a total budget of €93 million.
Las Dehesas is a crucial facility for managing the waste generated in Madrid. It primarily processes waste from the grey container (residual fraction), plastic, metal, and brick waste from the yellow container, as well as bulky items, aiming to recover recyclable materials and properly manage those that cannot be recycled.
One of the key innovations in the contract is the change in the remuneration system for the awarded company, linking payments to the volume of materials recovered for recycling. Additionally, discounts will be applied when waste from the facility ends up in landfill. This model aims to incentivise better waste sorting and increase the recovery of usable materials, thereby reducing the amount of waste sent for disposal without recovery.
The contractor will be responsible for sorting incoming waste, managing and marketing recovered materials, and processing organic waste. They will also need to maintain the equipment and facilities, ensuring the centre operates smoothly throughout the contract period.
The new contract includes specific measures to enhance the treatment of bulky waste, such as furniture and large items. It establishes a specific price for materials recovered from these types of waste to encourage recycling. Furthermore, it prohibits the disposal of mattresses in landfills and sets a higher price for recovered materials from such waste to promote their valorisation.
The contract also entails the construction of two new landfill cells, providing controlled space for waste that cannot be recovered and is acceptable for disposal, ensuring service continuity at least until 2031. The works will need to be coordinated with the centre's regular operations to maintain functionality during construction.
Another planned action is to enhance the capture of biogas generated at the landfill for electricity production. The contract specifies a price for the electricity produced from this gas supplied to the grid, aiming to increase its capture and improve energy utilisation.
Additionally, the contract includes new obligations to minimise emissions and reduce the environmental impact of operations. It also covers the management of leachate generated at the facilities, the transfer of glass collected in the green container, and the maintenance of the animal cremation service until its potential transfer to the Las Lomas facility.
The contract encompasses the operation and maintenance of the Las Dehesas Treatment Centre for three years from its formalisation, with an option for a two-year extension. Its commencement is initially scheduled for 1 April 2027. Through these actions, the city council aims to improve waste utilisation, promote recycling, reduce the amount of materials sent to landfill, and ensure the continuity of an essential service for managing domestic waste in Madrid.
