A new £6.6m asphalt plant is the UK's first to use high capacity cold Recycled Asphalt Planings (RAP) technology creating mixes of up to 55% recycled content, according to owners Tarmac.
The leading construction materials company said the plant replaced an older 1960s operation as part of efforts to build up for the influx of investment into the highways sector including Highways England’s planned £15bn spending programme.
Matt Goodwin, trainee and Iain Blackaller, site manager
Situated inside the M25 at Harper Lane, Hertfordshire, the new Benninghoven BA5000U plant from Wirtgen Limited is capable of manufacturing a wide range of road material products, including lower temperature asphalts.
Cyrille Ragoucy, Tarmac chief executive, said: ‘The UK’s strategic road infrastructure plays a critical role in securing the country’s continuing social and economic development, and unlocking its future prosperity.
'Tarmac is well placed to support customers in achieving the UK’s infrastructure plans by providing the solutions, expertise and innovation to help deliver projects in a smarter, more efficient and sustainable manner.’
The plant’s technology reduces CO2 levels and can reduce the carbon footprint of road projects by 15%-25% Tarmac said.
In a statement it added that the new site was part of an ongoing investment programme that has seen the company ‘installing the world’s first world’s first combined Terex AggreSand 206 modular wash plant and AggreScrub150 in its quarries at Broom South in Bedfordshire, and Stanninghall in Norfolk’ as well as investing in additional RAP capabilities at its asphalt operations in Stevenage, Trowse, and Parkstone.
The investments could yield more than 115 new jobs in the south of England over the next three years.
Surveyor's Highway Management conference will take place on September 23rd and 24th in Manchester. To register go to: www.highway.surveyorevents.com
