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ETIHAD RAIL WASTE RECYCLING WILL SAVE 5 MILLION TRUCK KILOMETRES
May 27, 2012
Contractor Thiess Services Middle East (TSME) says that recycling waste construction and building materials for the Etihad Rail project will save 5 million kilometres of truck journeys.
Etihad Rail is a $11 billion project that will create a rail network across the UAE. Work has already begun on the first phase, a 266km stretch of rail in the Western Region that will be used to ship granular sulphur from the Shah and Habshan fields to Ruwais.
TSME said that it is working with the Abu Dhabi Centre for Waste Managemen (CWM)t to supply at least 750,000 tonnes of aggregates to contractor Al Jaber Group for the first phase. It said that using the waste material will reduce save money and ease environmental costs.
TSME will use its joint recycling plant with the CWM in Al Dhafra near the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.
“The use of recycled aggregates brings important technical, environmental and economic benefits to our customers and to Abu Dhabi,” TSME general manager Tim Harwood said. “This is the first order for the Etihad Rail project but we are receiving very positive feedback about our recycled product from many contractors in the region and we expect further significant orders in the near term.”
“The use of recycled aggregates brings important technical, environmental and economic benefits to our customers and to Abu Dhabi,” said Tim Harwood, TSME’s general manager.
“This is the first order for the Etihad Rail project but we are receiving very positive feedback about our recycled product from many contractors in the region and we expect further significant orders in the near term.” The first sections of the railway are being constructed between Shah and Ruwais and it is here that Al Jaber Group saw the opportunity to utilise a sustainable and cost effective material in their construction.
“Al Jaber Group understood our project to recycle construction and demolition waste from the very start and have been a consistent and valued customer” said Mr Harwood. “We have worked together on a number of projects and Al Jaber Group has the vision to see the potential of high quality recycled materials and the contribution they can make to the environment and economy of Abu Dhabi.”
Najib Arnous, contracting director of Al Jaber Transport & General Contracting said that his company’s experience of using Thiess’ recycled aggregates had convinced them that they could use them on the Etihad Rail project.
“Our requirements for recycled aggregates are as stringent as those for any other sources of material, we are looking for very high quality, technical performance and environmental benefits,” he said. ”Our use of Thiess’ recycled aggregates over the last two years has demonstrated the benefits to us and we are pleased to be leading the way in this important area of Abu Dhabi’s sustainable development.”
Developed under a Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) contract between TSME and the Abu Dhabi CWM, the Al Dhafra Recycling facility can process up to 600 tonnes per hour of raw construction and demolition waste into high quality recycled aggregates, steel and wood derived fuel. The plant recycles more than 98% of materials entering the site by weight.
Late last year it was announced that the recycling facility would temporarily cease production due to the imbalance between stock levels and sales orders at that time. It is hoped that this order and the interest being shown regarding the use of recycled aggregates in other major infrastructure projects such as new highways and ports will see the plant start production again in the near future.
“The past year has been difficult as the construction market has contracted somewhat however the Government and stakeholders of Abu Dhabi have been very supportive and remain committed to the facility and the essential services it provides,” Mr Harwood added.
SOURCE: constructionmachineryme.com
