Case Study Monte Maggiore plant

Plant Data

Answering the needs: Monte Maggiore S.r.l.

Monte Maggiore S.r.l. was founded in 2000, initially focusing its activities on the marketing of marbles, granites, and stones in general. In the past year, the company set the goal of expanding its business by transitioning from trading to the extraction of stone materials, focusing on the types of marble found within quarry No. 75 “Ciresuola A”, located in the marble basin of Miseglia – Fantiscritti in the municipality of Carrara.

In 2023, the company reached a production milestone of 7.000 tons/year of the precious stone, contributing to the continuation of the centuries-old tradition associated with the processing of this valuable material. The goal for 2024 is to reach the maximum estimated extraction potential of around 15.000 tons/year.

In recent years, Carrara marble extraction has been an essential component of the local and national economy. With increasing attention to the environmental imp01act of extraction and processing activities, companies like Monte Maggiore are facing increasingly complex challenges in balancing production with environmental sustainability.

In 2023, Monte Maggiore made a significant decision to address these challenges: It installed a Matec water treatment plant as part of a comprehensive optimization plan for its extraction process, pursuing pollution prevention goals, environmental protection, and reduction of impacts resulting from its operational activities.

Marboline: 100% mobile plant on skid

The Marboline plant is designed to be 100% mobile, installed on skids, and tailored for quarries where there are different water collection points and where plant mobility is an essential requirement.

The plant is also an efficient solution for stone processing workshops. Through a complete and compact solution, Matec guarantees significant results in terms of quantity and quality to recover and reuse water used for extraction and processing. Meanwhile, the production of dry cakes can be disposed of simply and economically. This Matec plant features a small Aquae 250 or 400 filter press with a variable number of plates and a whole series of other components that make up a complete and compact system for water purification and filtration.

Matec solution’s for Monte Maggiore plant

Matec, a leading company in the water treatment systems sector, promptly responded to the needs of the Monte Maggiore client. Thanks to its extensive experience in the marble and stone sector, Matec was able to develop a tailored solution for the specific needs of the Carrara-based client.

The proposed plant was designed to address one of the main challenges of the marble industry: the treatment of water contaminated with processing residues. Marble quarries are indeed at very high risk of environmental impact, especially concerning aquifers and karst caves, a danger primarily caused by marble sludge derived from block cutting.

To achieve the maximum result and collect and treat every resource, Matec provided Monte Maggiore with a plant consisting of an Aquae 400/5P Filter press, combined with a 10.000 liter vertical static stainless steel thickener tank and a 300 lpm submersible pump, all of Matec’s own production. The system is complemented by a 300 liter Bifloc flocculation tank and a 500 liter Bifang homogenization tank. The entire plant is supplied on a SKID, a frame that facilitates positioning and allows the plant to be moved according to the needs of the work area.

This tailored solution offers Monte Maggiore an efficient and reliable system for treating contaminated water, enabling the company to comply with environmental regulations and preserve the surrounding ecosystem. Moreover, the company is now able to eliminate the consumption of drinking water by utilizing rainwater collection and reuse after filtration in all extraction phases.

Result achieved in Monte Maggiore plant

Thanks to the installed Matec plant, Monte Maggiore has achieved significant results both environmentally and operationally. The company is now able to responsibly manage marble processing residues, avoiding the discharge of dangerous sludge into the Carrione river and surrounding aquifers.

With this virtuous position, the company has also been able to obtain important environmental certifications by implementing a voluntary integrated management system for Environment and Health and Safety at Work according to international ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards, with the intention of soon adhering to the European Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).