The PPP contract

The Partnership Agreement for the implementation of the project “Design, Financing, Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Infrastructure of the Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) of the Region of Western Macedonia with PPP”, was signed on 10/06/2015 between DIADYMA SA and EPADYM SA (Private Partnership Agency-PPA).

The object of the Partnership Agreement is the design, financing, and construction of:

a) the Mechanical and Biological Treatment plant (MBT) with a capacity of 120,000 tons / year,
b) the Landfill (Waste Landfill) capable of accepting the waste of the MBT for 30 years and
c) the new Local Waste Management Unit (LWMU) of Kozani
as well as the operation and maintenance of all the infrastructure of the IWMS of Western Macedonia for 25 years.

It is a Mechanical - Biological Treatment Unit (MBT) which includes: mechanical sorting of mixed waste into recyclable and biowaste, followed by mechanical treatment and separation of recyclable materials in streams with wide use of optical, gravitational and ballistic separators while the organic is separated processing and composting in closed boxes.

The MBT was conducted in such a way that it is flexible:

(a) in the incoming quantities of waste
(b) in the composition of incoming waste (depending on the diversion from separation at source) and
c) in the type of incoming waste, as it can accept a pre-selected organic fraction.

The project is implemented in accordance with the provisions of Law 3389/2005 on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and was the first reciprocal project implemented in Greece through this process.

The financing of the infrastructure projects came from the leverage of resources from:

· The European Investment Bank (EUR 13 million),

· The Jessica financial instrument (EUR 13 million) - an amount that will be returned to Western Macedonia for reinvestment,

· The National Bank of Greece (EUR 6 million),

· Equity of 17 million euros of the Private Partnership Agency EPADYM SA.

The Commercial Operation of MBT started on 10/6/2017 - exactly two years after the signing of the PA and without a single day delay - and enabled DIADYMA SA to ensure the treatment of all waste generated in Western Macedonia.

With the operation of the MBT, Western Macedonia became the first region to achieve the goal of Directive 1999/31/EC of the EU Council, for the treatment of the biodegradable fraction of waste and even exceeded the target as the unit achieves treatment >80% against of the target 65%.

There are three main performance goals of MBT and PA.

· Diversion of Biodegradable Waste (BW) from Landfill at a rate of > 80%
· Landfill diversion at a rate of <35.96%
· Recovery of Recyclable Materials (RM) of Conventional Waste at a rate of > 35%

The PA was the first reciprocal project implemented in this way at country level and is therefore included as a "Good Practice" on the European Commission's Invest EU website (https://europa.eu/investeu/projects/west-macedonia-waste-management_el) while it has won awards and distinctions both in Greece and abroad.

In 2013, after a three-month evaluation, it was awarded the "Waste of the Year Agreement", under the "Annual Funding Award" program by the prestigious financial magazine World Finance.

In 2017 MBT won the WINNER distinction in the "Waste Partnership" category of the "Waste & Recycling Awards 2017", for the "Successful implementation and operation of the Mechanical and Biological Treatment plant with a Public-Private Partnership Agreement"

In 2019 MBT won the award "Biodegradable Fraction Processing", in the category Municipal Solid Waste within the Greek Green Awards 2019 of the Verde.tec Forum.