GERTA  - 

Melting Plant for Metals with Toxic Contamination

Melting Metals – Securing Hazardous Substances – Obtaining Resources

In January 1998, the GERTA melting plant was opened for operation after two years of development as a spin-off of CARLA, GERTA= Grosstechnische Einrichtung zum Recyclieren Toxischer Abfälle (Industrial-Scale Melting for the Recycling of Toxic Waste). The objective was to decontaminate naturally radioactively contaminated metallic waste - the so-called NORM material - and waste with toxic chemical contaminants e.g. mercury, PCB, dioxins/furans or asbestos by melting, and to return it to economic circulation as a secondary raw material.

Products of GERTA:

1. INGOTS:

• Free of pollutants 
  
  
• non-radioactive
  
  
• reusable in the steel industry

2. Slag:

• free of pollutants 
  
  
• reusable in road works

3. Dust:

• final disposal in underground depots