News
26th September 2025
In September 2024 Ragnhild Elise Dirdal received the Carsten Spohn Award for her research on selective copper recovery from bottom ash – a key step toward circular raw material use. As part of the Award Ragnhild was invited to do an internship in one of volunteering CEWEP Member plants across Europe.
Ragnhild chose AVR for her traineeship, attracted by their pioneering work in bottom ash applications, projects like CEMPr in Duiven, and their CO₂ capture expertise. Guided by colleagues across Rozenburg and Duiven sites, she explored their incineration processes and took the opportunity to visit their partners Heros, BluePhoenix, and Mineralz, gaining valuable insight into metal recovery and material reuse.
Her visit not only deepened her knowledge but also sparked meaningful knowledge exchange – a great example of how young researchers and industry can drive innovation together.
Please scroll below for Ragnhild’s own recount of her experience.
“Knowing that the Netherlands had come a long way in the waste management field, I decided that choosing AVR would be a good fit to learn as much as possible.
After spending a week with AVR and its partners, I’m really satisfied with my choice. I was impressed with the advanced processes and innovative projects and also learning about their plans to improve even further. Apart from all the advanced systems related to the combustion process, such as the carbon capture plant at AVR Duiven, what impressed me the most was the close collaboration between AVR and its partners. By visiting both AVR and their partners, it became clear to me how intertwined their processes are. Moreover, it was clear that everyone was on the same team, and knew each other well. For me it almost seemed like one big company working together.
This industry is not standing still; there are always new developments happening and innovative ideas being tested. As a researcher, I think it’s very motivating to learn how encouraging the waste management industry is to new findings, which I think is key to ensure continuous improvement.
Thanks AVR!”
