Projet Phoenix

An Innovative 100% Walloon Project
This is the Walloon project PHOENIX, which combines the expertise of COMET Treatments with research entities like Certech, CRM, ULiège, and the company Slegten. This 100% Walloon consortium developed a unique industrial process for recycling previously unrecyclable waste. Today, COMET's overall recycling rate for ELVs has reached 98.4%, positioning the company as a pioneer in recycling and valorization of ELVs in Europe.

COMET Group was founded by Alfred Grosjean from the merging of various scrap collection sites in Hainaut and northern France. Since then, the group has continuously grown and diversified its activities. Today, Comet operates about thirty sites across France and Belgium and employs 500 people. Comet Treatments started in 2002 with a mission to find a destination for ultimate grinding residues. The PHOENIX project led to the construction of a pilot site in Obourg, inaugurated on November 11, 2013. "This is a unique solution in Europe. The goal, after implementing this first factory in our region, is to commercialize the technology," announced Pierre-François Bareel, CEO of Comet Treatments.

Comet Treatments Turns Waste into Liquid Gold
PHOENIX has now been amplified by "Phoebus," a unit set up in 2017. The fuel produced after treatment in the Phoebus pilot unit powers cogeneration engines that produce electricity and heat simultaneously. The combined capacity of these two installations is approximately 1,000 liters/day of synthetic diesel and gasoline. This is a significant step in developing the technology, with the final goal of deploying an industrial tool capable of processing 35,000 tons/year of grinding residues and producing enough electricity to power 10,000 Walloon households. The fuel emits the same amount of CO2 as regular oil, with the advantage of giving a second life to a large organic material that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

MecaTech Cluster: Making Innovative Ideas Happen
Just as you would consult a financial institution and a good architect for your personal projects, innovative manufacturing companies like COMET turn to the MecaTech Cluster to build their innovation projects, partner with high-value entities, and secure the best possible funding.
85% of the projects supported by the MecaTech Cluster receive financing.
This was the case for the PHOENIX project, which benefited from project setup assistance and received significant financial support from the Walloon Region, amounting to €4.554 million of a total investment of €7.444 million, representing over 60% of the total investment. COMET contributed €3.25 million of this amount toward the manufacturing of the pyrolysis industrial equipment. This additional activity within the Comet recycling park led to the creation of new jobs and promising business opportunities in Belgium and Europe.