REFIAL

REFIAL is part of Otua Group, and industrial group with more than 40 years of experience that is one of the leading companies in the recycling of metals in Europe, formed of eight industrial companies dedicated to Recycling, Distribution, and Research, with industrial facilities exceeding 200,000 m2.

The strength of Otua Group lies in its productive capacity and the synergies generated between its companies, being the main driver research and increase added value in all the sectors in which operates. Otua Group is growth oriented and its main tool is the continuous improvement, being constantly evolving and incorporating new technologies to its facilities. REFIAL, founded in 2010, is an aluminium refinery dedicated to the supply of aluminium from secondary smelting. REFIAL is equipped with the latest technology in aluminium refining for optimum use of the waste treated, which enables to provide solutions for a wide range of waste containing aluminium. Its production facilities are duplicated with the aim of guaranteeing the supply and to be able to satisfy the market’s high demand for aluminium. REFIAL uses in its production process mainly aluminium post consumption, produced and characterized in the companies of its business group (Otua Group). The main products are: Aluminium ingots, Liquid aluminium and aluminium hemispheres for steel deoxidation. The extraction of the raw material for aluminium is an activity that is especially intensive in scarce natural resources. By recycling aluminium, around 95% of the energy required to renew it is saved, avoiding greater atmospheric pollution. Fundación INATEC is a Not-For-Profit foundation located in Legutio (Álava) Spain specialized in research projects on environmental matters. Since 2004, INATEC has been centralising the innovative activity of the companies belonging to Otua Group, reinforcing its leadership in the recovery of the materials contained in complex solid waste. INATEC activity focuses on the recovery of complex solid waste, which means the capability to offer the best solutions within this area, designing and developing new technology for recycling secondary raw materials. With the aim of moving towards a sustainable future, INATEC designs recovery systems that open up new routes towards the progress of the national and international recycling industry.

WPs:

WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5, WP6, WP7, WP8.

Role/focus:

REFIAL is one of the End-Users of TRINEFLEX, leading the task T5.4, demonstration in the aluminium sector, supported by INATEC. INATEC assumes the representation of REFIAL company in the tasks of management and coordination with the rest of the partners (WP8); the tasks of dissemination, exploitation and communication with the rest of the channels (WP7); the tasks related to the impact, evolution and control of development within the project (WP6); the task of study and definition at laboratory scale on the WP4 package (T4.1 and T4.6) and supports REFIAL in the rest of its own research and experimental development tasks (WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP5).

Team involved

Jon Barrenetxea-Arando

BS / Manager of Fundación INATEC/ Main researcher
jbarrenetxea@fundacioninatec.es

Manager of Fundación Inatec, specialized in the coordination, preparation and development of Research and Development projects in the environment sector, focused on recovery and recycling of complex solid waste.

He has in-depth technical knowledge in the area of recovery and recycling of various materials, including industrial techniques for its recovery, acquired through the development of various national and European R&D projects.

Noelia Montes

BS/ Project coordinator / Researcher
nmontes@fundacioninatec.es

Degree in physical sciences. Noelia was part of the Nuclear and Particle Physics research group at the University of Santiago de Compostela, obtained her postgraduate studies and developed different projects in the area of particle detection (2003-2012).

Entrepreneur in charge of a social research project for the development of tools for the empowerment of citizens (2012-2016). Since 2016, she is the project coordinator for projects within the R&D department of Inatec, specialized in the development of new ways of managing.

Elena Dosal

PhD/ Project Manager/ Researcher
edosal@fundacioninatec.es

PhD in Chemical Engineering and processes, obtained its postgraduate studies in the University of Cantabria, as part of the Green Engineering and Resources (GER) research group, of the Dpt. of Chemistry and Process and Resource Engineering.

From 2016 to 2019 worked as a data analyst and industrial process optimization engineer. Since 2019, R&D project manager of Inatec, specialized in the application of Industry 4.0 concepts and new techniques and technologies for recovering and recycling complex solid waste.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101058174 “TrineFlex”

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