On Tuesday 26 November 2019, the 16th edition of the FEDIL Environment Prize ceremony took place in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, Carole Dieschbourg, several guests and members of the jury as well as this year's prize winners.
An expert jury from the public and private sectors awarded four prizes among the sixteen nominees (and a record number of applications).
Firstly, Tarkett GDL S.A.'s iD Revolution won the Environment Prize 2019 in the "Product" category. The company changes resilient soil play by offering a modular floor composed of 83% recycled materials, bio-materials and minerals. To create this innovative product, Tarkett uses recycled PVB from windshields and safety glasses for incorporation into the product's formula as well as PLA bioplastics and calcium carbonate. Not only is the composition of iD Revolution's products sustainable and healthy, but the manufacturing process also respects the natural capital of the planet: 99% of the water used during production is recycled and 100% of the necessary electricity comes from renewable sources. In addition, 50% of the carbon impact is offset by carbon credits via Tambopata, a project that supports the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest of Peru. The product is 100% recyclable and has been specifically designed to be returned and reinvented as a new product at the end of its use.
The Environment Prize 2019 in the "Process" category went to the Drinking Water Treatment Plant by APATEQ – PWT S.A. APATEQ's multifunctional water treatment system is very innovative in its sector and is unique in Europe. The stationary system treats water and pre-treated wastewater of varying levels of origin and pollution in a single facility, surpassing the competing products of the world's leading water market leaders. The peculiarity of this system is that the purified water is directly introduced into the drinking water network of the municipality. The pioneering Mörbylånga factory in Sweden was inaugurated in mid-July in the presence of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Félix of Luxembourg.
ArcelorMittal S.A.'s ArcelorMittal/Sudcal Heat Recovery won the Environment Prize 2019 in the "Energy Intensive Industries" category. This project was born from ArcelorMittal's desire to valorise the dissipated energies on its sites, coupled with a densification of the urban habitat around the historical industrial sites of the company in the Minett basin. The project consists in recovering the energy contained in the fumes of the furnace of one of the rolling mills in Belval to heat the water injected into the heat network of several districts of Esch-sur-Alzette served by Sudcal. The heat is recovered via an air / water heat exchanger placed at the foot of the chimney and the heated water is sent to the city heating network. This project reportedly meets 70% of Sudcal's needs and saves 5,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The fourth and final prize, also in the "Energy Intensive Industries" category, went to Circal 75R by Hydro Aluminium Clervaux S.A. The 75R product, also known as Circal 75R, is unique in the aluminum market for the construction industry. It is an aluminum made from a minimum of 75% post-consumer or end of life material, thus fitting with the logic of the circular economy. Its carbon footprint is the lowest for aluminum production in the world. This innovative product is only available on the market by the Norsk Hydro Group, to which the Hydro Aluminum Clervaux plant belongs. The specificity of the product is that it was developed by the Luxembourg recycling plant and is produced there alone. The Luxembourg site has state-of-the-art facilities, commissioned in 2015/2016, which allow the production of such an aluminum alloy while ensuring improved quality compared to a standard aluminum recycled product. In 2017, the Luxembourg plant obtained the innovation award from the group's president.
According to FEDIL, the four selected projects perfectly met the criteria set in the Environment Prize regulation, namely in terms of ecology, innovation, practical realisation and economics.
In her speech preceding the presentation of the Environment Prize, FEDIL President Michèle Detaille welcomed the high-quality projects presented in the framework of this competition and in particular the record number of applications received. She also stressed that the projects awarded by FEDIL fit perfectly into the implementation of Jeremy Rifkin's strategy in Luxembourg and contribute significantly to achieving the CO2 objectives set for Luxembourg.
