{"id":587,"date":"2023-07-06T10:04:57","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T10:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mj.40-69-202-162.plesk.page\/?post_type=reference&p=587"},"modified":"2026-07-20T20:05:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T19:05:05","slug":"ehj-energi-e-drive-has-made-a-huge-difference-in-rdf-production-2","status":"publish","type":"reference","link":"https:\/\/mj-live.bordingdigital.dk\/de\/reference\/ehj-energi-e-drive-has-made-a-huge-difference-in-rdf-production\/","title":{"rendered":"EHJ Energi: e-drive has made a huge difference in RDF production"},"content":{"rendered":"

With about 60 truckloads of waste coming in every day, Danish waste management company EHJ Energi A\/S runs a busy site. The fully equipped waste management center sorts and shreds materials from local businesses, municipalities from large parts of Jutland, and imported waste from Germany.<\/p>\n

Some of these materials are turned into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF). After winning a contract to supply Aalborg Portland in 2019, EHJ Energi needed a larger set-up to replace the single-shafted shredder they had at the time. So, they decided to research their options:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur challenge was to find shredders that could reduce the materials to small enough fractions and do so at high capacity. In our research, M&J Recycling shone through. We chose an M&J 4000S pre-shredder and an M&J F210 fine-shredder, and it was a great success<\/em>,\u201d\u00a0says Nils Tougaard, Operations Manager.<\/p>\n

Most of the materials EHJ Energi uses to produce alternative fuels are leftover materials from the production of diapers and sanitary products. Because they are made up of a compound of plastic, foil, and felt, they cannot be recycled. Instead, the many rolls and piles of materials are first pre-shredded by the M&J 4000S, and then fine-shredded by the M&J F210, allowing them to be used as a substitution for coal and oil.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Growth led to a world premiere in Randers
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EHJ Energi continued to grow significantly, and with an ever-increasing amount of materials coming in, the team found themselves needing an even larger fine-shredder. So, they started talking to M&J Recycling, which was in the process of developing a new, high-capacity electrical fine-shredder, the M&J F320e<\/a>. It offered the same power and capacity as its hydraulic counterpart, but used less energy to power it, making it a great option for EHJ Energi.<\/p>\n

In addition to in-house tests, M&J needed to run tests on a customer\u2019s site to verify the shredder\u2019s capacity and grain size. The team at EHJ Energi agreed to take part in the tests, so the electric fine-shredder was moved to Randers, where it quickly proved its worth:<\/p>\n

\u201dThe difference is huge. We now produce about 100 tonnes of RDF pr. day, and we\u2019re experiencing 25-30% energy savings, compared to running a hydraulic shredder. That really matters when you\u2019re running every single day. The electrical shredder was implemented when the energy prices were at their highest, during the energy crisis, which just made the energy savings even more important\u201d, says Nils.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In addition to lower energy consumption, switching to the electrical shredder has also given EHJ Energi a number of other benefits \u2013 a more steady operation being one of them:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to run more smoothly than the hydraulic shredder. The electric drive keeps the RPM more constant, giving the sense of a better flow. There\u2019s no doubt that it is more powerful and has better torque\u201d,<\/em> Nils adds.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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A better match for challenging materials<\/h2>\n

The stretchy nature of the compound material processed at EHJ Energi makes it challenging, as it can sometimes work itself into a chewing gum-like substance. When that happened with the hydraulic shredder, EHJ Energi\u2019s team would need to turn the shredder off, open it up, empty it manually, and dig out the materials, before resuming operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the electrical shredder, we just reverse a bit using the panel and then resume normal operations. It really makes a difference. It has improved the working environment, as it means fewer frustrations and fewer manual tasks. We save about half an hour on unnecessary stops every single day, so it absolutely matters\u201d, <\/em>Nils mentions and continues:<\/p>\n

\u201cA simple thing that matters a lot in a busy workday is that we no longer have a hydraulic drive\u2019s oil resistance, so when we do maintenance and replace the shredder\u2019s knives, the shaft is a lot easier to turn manually. With the previous shredder, we could only do this in the morning, when it was cold, as there would be too much resistance at night. It\u2019s a small thing, but it matters.<\/em><\/p>\n

Having switched to an electrical drive also has the added benefit of not having to counter the hydraulic power unit\u2019s heat generation to keep the hydraulic oil cold. And last, but not least, avoiding the risk of jammed hydraulics:<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a hydraulic drive, you have maintenance of oil, filters, etc. and there is always a risk of the hydraulics getting stuck. We only experienced that a few times and it never caused big problems, but having switched to an electrical drive means that\u2019s something I never have to worry about again. So, I personally feel more secure having the e-drive. There\u2019s less concern for me, and if something is wrong, I can just open the screen and take a look. That\u2019s a giant advantage, I\u2019d say.\"<\/em><\/p>\n

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Proud advocates of electric drives<\/h2>\n

Being the first to adopt the electric fine-shredder \u2013 and enjoying the many ways the M&J F320e has made a difference to EHJ Energi\u2019s operations \u2013 the team is keen to share their experience:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really good story. It really is, and I happily talk to others about our shredder \u2013 even to people outside our industry. When I talk to other machine engineers, and they ask what we use, I tell them about our shredder with pride\u201d,<\/em>\u00a0says Nils and concludes:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very proud of our electric fine-shredder, and we\u2019re very excited about getting an electric pre-shredder too. We expect a lot from that, and we\u2019re looking forward to operating a fully electric waste treatment line.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

See EHJ Energi's shredders in action here:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>