Götaverken Miljö AB, part of SPIG-GMAB, is an innovative supplier of Flue Gas Cleaning and Energy Recovery systems, mainly for Waste to Energy, Biomass-fired power plants and Hazardous Waste Incineration plants.
One of our specialities is multifunctional polishing scrubbers, combining ultra-low emissions with efficient energy recovery by cooling down the gases, which are ideal for flue gas pretreatment for future Carbon Capture plants.
Innovation is one of our key hallmarks, and we have introduced several unique technologies to the market, such as MercOx, ADIOX, CUTNOX, Sulfur Recirculation and ReZinc. All of them to help our clients reduce their emissions and/or to lower their ecological footprint.
Sven Andersson
Tell us about yourself
I was recruited by my dream company, Götaverken Miljö AB (GMAB) in 1998, after finishing my PhD in Chemical Engineering Design at Chalmers University of Technology. Before that, I wrote my M.Sc. thesis at GMAB in 1992 on Hg precipitation in wet scrubbers. I am now the R&D Director of GMAB.
I realised early that the most exciting things are happening where industry and academia meet. I am proud to also hold a position as Adjunct Professor at Energy Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, where I spend one day per week. I am dedicated to giving the students and research colleagues an industrial perspective and real-life examples, while picking up new ideas from the brilliant people in this creative academic environment.
My speciality is scale-up of new technologies, from lab-scale to pilot-scale, to full-scale commercial installations: a skill and craft that I have been fortunate to put into practice when I have been responsible for scale-up of many of our unique technologies.
What inspired your organisation to join ISWA, and how has ISWA helped in your career?
We joined ISWA many decades ago, since it is one of the most prominent organisations whose focus aligns well with our products and field of interest.
I held my first ISWA conference presentation at the ISWA Beacon Conference in Malmö in 1999, where I presented our MercOx project at Sakab (now Fortum Waste Solutions) in Kumla, Sweden.
Since then, I have been a presenter at more than ten ISWA conferences, both at the ISWA World Congresses and ISWA Beacon conferences.
ISWA has been extremely valuable to us as a company and to me as a professional for creating a large network and to share and update ourselves on the technology landscape as well as all kinds of different aspects of Waste Management.
What are the biggest projects/ initiatives in waste management that your organisation has achieved so far?
Our most important contribution to the Waste Management sector is the development and implementation of our ADIOX technology for removing dioxins and furans from flue gases in more than 140 incineration lines globally.
We have helped many plants to achieve compliance with the dioxin emission limits by minimising the dioxin memory effect in wet scrubbers as well as installing ADIOX for dioxin removal and destruction. When the ADIOX material has reached end-of-life, it can be incinerated, whereby the ab/adsorbed dioxins are destroyed, unlike many other dioxin abatement technologies.
From an energy and decarbonization perspective, our most important contribution is that we pioneered flue gas condensation in Waste to Energy plants already in the late 80s. Our 40+ flue gas condensation installations are continuously reducing pollutants and carbon emissions by replacing fuels with waste heat.
What have your biggest challenges been so far?
Early in my career, I was process engineer for a wet scrubber project. The scrubber performed very well, but unexpectedly, the dioxin emissions increased. We contacted researchers Hans Hunsinger and Siegfried Kreisz at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology who had an explanation: the dioxin memory effect delays the emissions from start-up peaks by dioxin absorption in polymer materials, followed by desorption. They had also invented a solution, which later became ADIOX and solved the problem at the plant as well as becoming one of our most successful products.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
I believe that reducing plastic waste and properly managing biodegradable waste should be global priorities. The transition to a circular economy is critical to ensuring long-term sustainability. Additionally, we must continue to innovate in waste-to-energy technologies and material recovery to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of waste management.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
In many countries, a major fraction of the waste is still unsustainably landfilled, whilst both material recycling rates and energy recovery rates are low. This has to change.
Obviously, recycling needs to increase, and I think that for non-recyclable waste streams, material and energy recovery through thermal treatment will keep being an important cornerstone for POPs destruction (Persistent Organic Pollutants) and reducing waste pathogens, volume and methane emission for many years to come. I think this sector is ideal for Carbon Capture technologies.
With a growing population and several planetary boundaries for a sustainable future being exceeded, we need to implement existing technologies and develop new ones in order to secure a clean environment for generations to come.
What are the trends in waste management that excite you the most?
I am very excited to keep on working towards reducing the environmental impact, greenhouse gas emissions and closing the material loops for a cleaner and more sustainable future. During my years in the industry, I have witnessed both waste-related disasters, but this has by far been exceeded by a constant striving towards less polluting, more efficient and more sustainable waste management practices.
What role do you see ISWA play in driving sustainable practices globally?
Providing and promoting information exchange platforms, such as publications, conferences and working groups. Informing decision makers of what is currently possible/feasible and what is not. Knowledge is the first step towards action.
ISWA has an active Young Professionals Group as a special task force, what would be your advice to them looking to make a difference in the waste sector?
Stay curious, open minded and keep learning! If you are in industry: connect with academia. If you are in academia: connect with industry. Visit conferences where you can network and update you and your organization on the latest trends. Look for positions/jobs that lead to real results. Check out the concept of “Ikigai”: what you are good at, what you love to do, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs. I have found mine. Good luck with finding yours.
