“The completion of the shell and core is a major milestone for us. Despite minor complications caused by the winter weather, we managed to keep to schedule and are now finishing the final flooring in the hall. A technology company will start to assemble the equipment at the beginning of May and it will take place in parallel with the construction work. Some of the technology will have to be installed shortly after the floor has cured, which places high demands on the coordination of work by various professionals. We are now ready for four months of intensive cooperation between the construction teams and the supplier of the technology, which includes a robotic separator that will be transported from Slovakia as an oversized load,” explained Pavel Szmek, the Metrostav CZ project manager.
Once completed, the new sorting line will be able to process up to 20,000 tonnes of lightweight packaging into 11 different fractions, from plastics to metals to beverage packaging. A key element of the modernisation work is optical sorting using sensors that recognise the chemical composition, colour, shape and other optical properties of individual plastic particles. “Thanks to the new technologies, not only will the separation process be shortened, but we will achieve a higher quality of the separated items that are returned to circulation,” emphasised Smolo project manager Eva Konečná.
The entire project represents a large-scale redevelopment of the existing site with an emphasis on sustainability. The new sorting hall will have a green façade with climbing vegetation, and a stonecrop carpet will be planted on the roof of the office building. The site will also include new hardened areas, a shelter for equipment, a weighbridge and modified utility networks supplemented by retention tanks for rainwater management. The project also envisages the planting of dozens of new trees. The roof structure is already prepared for the future installation of photovoltaic panels, which will reduce the building’s energy consumption.
Even before the start of construction, the original sorting line from 1998 was dismantled, because it no longer met current technological and legislative requirements. The site’s modernisation is also important in terms of its environmental impact and is a significant step towards improving waste sorting and recycling in the region. The new facility will enable Smolo to meet current and future waste management standards and reduce the environmental impact of its operations.
“While we have been preparing the project for almost four years, the construction work itself will take a year and a half. Completion is planned for the end of 2026. Thanks to state-of-the-art optical sorting technology, a cutting-edge facility will be built here that will take waste processing in the region to a whole new level. Our goal is a modern and highly efficient waste sorting and processing centre that will meet the most stringent standards,” said Tadeáš Cichy, CEO of Smolo.
The project is co-financed by the Operational Programme Environment (OP Environment), which will cover 40% of the total cost, and it complements another important construction project that Metrostav CZ is implementing in Třinec – the CirkArena research and development centre focused on innovations in the circular economy. Together, the two contracts confirm the ability to combine modern technology with the local environment and the region’s needs.
Contact Details
Radim Mana
Metrostav Group Spokesman
Metrostav a.s. Koželužská 2450/4 180 00 Prague 8
T 266 019 715, M 601 110 376
radim.mana@metrostav.cz
