We have launched renovation works on the building of the Vilnius regional waste sorting facility. The project will involve an investment of around EUR 2 million and is expected to be completed by this summer.
Renovation of nearly half of the factory
“We had been waiting for the construction works since last year – this is an important step forward for us. Once the building is renovated, we will be able to move all waste sorting processes indoors. Some of these processes are currently carried out in the factory yard. This will ensure smoother and more efficient operations and allow us to work independently of weather conditions,” says Algirdas Blazgys, CEO of Energesman.
The renovated section of the factory covers almost 10,000 square meters. In this part of the building, supporting structures as well as wall and roof coverings will be replaced. The total area of the factory is 21,000 square meters, meaning the renovation will cover slightly less than half of the facility.
The renovation works are financed by Energesman, with the company investing approximately EUR 2 million.
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Materials manufactured in Lithuania
Most of the materials used in the renovation are produced by Lithuanian companies under special orders. The manufacturing of the structures began last autumn, once construction experts had completed their assessment of how many and which structures would need to be replaced.
Currently, 43 new reinforced concrete columns are being installed at the factory. Metal beams that will support the roof and walls will later be attached to these columns.
Each column is 12.9 meters high, with a diameter of 0.5 meters, and weighs 8 tonnes. Together, the columns weigh a total of 344 tonnes.
An additional 107 tonnes of metal beams have also already been delivered to the factory site.
The columns were supplied by the Kaunas-based company Kauno perdanga, while the metal beams were delivered by the metal processing company Litvija, located in Mažeikiai. Roof and wall cladding is being manufactured by several factories in neighbouring Poland.
Cold weather delayed the start of works
Renovation works at the factory were initially planned to begin in December last year, but were postponed until the end of February due to weather conditions.
“The columns were delivered before Christmas, but cold weather set in and we had to wait for more favourable conditions, as technically the columns could only be installed at temperatures no lower than -5°C,” explains Eugenijus Misiūra, CEO of the construction company Telšių statyba, which is the general contractor for the project.
According to the head of the construction company, the installation of the columns is expected to be completed this week. Metal structures will then be installed, followed by the roof covering and, later, the walls.
“Our biggest challenge is that the work is taking place in an operating factory, where waste is constantly being delivered and sorted. This requires more coordination between the teams,” he adds.
Largest waste sorting facility in Lithuania
The Vilnius MBA facility operated by Energesman sorts around 210,000 tonnes of mixed municipal and food waste each year – about one third of all such waste generated in Lithuania.
Mixed municipal waste delivered to the Vilnius MBA plant comes from across the Vilnius County, which includes eight municipalities: Vilnius, Vilnius District Municipality, Trakai District Municipality, Elektrėnai Municipality, Ukmergė District Municipality, Švenčionys District Municipality, Šalčininkai District Municipality and Širvintos District Municipality.
