The initiative builds on an existing collaboration between Selfix and Holcim Geocycle for end-of-life tyre management in Mendoza. The addition of green waste creates a second valorisation stream and addresses a growing urban management problem. The Mendoza Metropolitan Area, comprising seven municipalities including Las Heras, generates substantial volumes of pruning residue from street tree maintenance. Accumulated dry organic material increases fire risk and contributes to canal blockages and flooding during rainy periods. In 2025 alone, authorities removed over 2,000 tonnes of solid urban waste from regional flood channels.
El Borbollón can receive and treat up to 80,000 tonnes of waste monthly, currently handling around 62.8 percent of the Metropolitan Zone’s estimated total. The biomass plant’s capacity represents a modest but strategic fraction of that flow. Diego Dumit, Selfix co-owner, emphasised that feedstock quality and continuity depend on upstream separation at collection points. Without proper classification, contamination from non-organic streams compromises material usability. The project’s viability rests on municipal collection systems delivering clean, segregated pruning waste in consistent volumes. The short transport loop, with both processing and end-use located within Mendoza, reduces logistical costs and carbon footprint compared to distant disposal or energy recovery options. Selfix has committed to receiving emergency pruning volumes at no cost during El Niño events, when increased vegetation growth strains collection capacity.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
