ARTIFICIAL intelligence will be at the heart of a new recycling superplant in Coventry.
Plans for the Regional Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) have evolved since its project origins in 2019, with costs rising from some £35million to £58million.
The project is being developed in partnership with authorities including in Solihull, Nuneaton and Bedworth, North Warwickshire, Rugby, Walsall and, more recently, Warwick District Council. The plant aims process up to 175,000 tonnes of recycling a year.
The new design includes artificial intelligence and robotics, provided by manufacturer GMI (Machinex) LTD, to achieve higher purity levels of recycled products, minimum human intervention and low grade plastics separation. If approved, the facility could be among the most technologically advanced in the world.
The aim of the superplant is to allow councils to save money on the rising costs of sending recycled waste for processing at private sector facilities. It is also hoped a larger facility will accommodate third party recycling to generate more revenue.
The new plant, which will be built on former allotment land, is expected to be complete by 2023.
