In the UK FM
The two new additions to the Conway portfolio mean that the company can supply asphalt products, increase its recycling capacity and take deliveries of aggregates by ship.
The company says this use of river transportation will reduce the number of lorry movements in and around London by 15,000 journeys a year and thus reduce CO2 emissions by 1,025tonnes per year.
Conway says its asphalt plant at Erith is the most energy efficient facility of its kind in the UK. Since becoming operational 15 months ago the plant has become the busiest single asphalt plant in the country, with operational availability 24 hours a day all year round.
Speaking at the opening event Michael Conway, chief executive officer for FM Conway, said: "This asphalt plant is the realisation of our goal to become a truly integrated service provider."
In 15 months of operation the plant has so far produced more than 450,000tonnes of asphalt. The material produced has paved many roads and been used for schools, hospitals, dockyards, rail depots, supermarket car parks and areas of the Olympic Park in London.
The asphalt plant delivers products which have been developed by Conway's Research and Development team based at the material testing laboratory at nearby Mulberry Way. Together the research and production teams are developing new products which will increase sustainability and reduce carbon emissions while optimising performance.
It is widely recognised that the waterways are under-used as an effective means of transporting essential materials in the UK.
The new Conway jetty and wharf will receive more than 250,000tonnes of aggregates per year, and the wharf has been designed to berth 6,000tonne ships. The jetty reaches 130m out into the River Thames and features a bespoke automated conveyor system which can operate at a rate of 500tonnes/hour.
Planned and constructed for minimal environmental impact, the design incorporates specially developed unloading equipment which is controlled via wireless technology at the fingertips of the dock crane operator.
The company has invested £25million (€29million) on in-house recycling infrastructure over the past five years. As a result, it can now recycle a wide array of arisings in-house, including the recycling of 100% of highways arisings in aggregates; 95% of gully waste in the only gully waste recycling plant in the UK, and all kerbs, paving, concrete, asphalt, sub-base, sand and granular materials.
