en.Wedoany.com Reported - UK-based Tarmac has opened a new asphalt plant at its Barrasford Quarry in Northumberland, utilising sustainable technology to reduce customer carbon emissions and enhance product performance.
The new plant replaces the old facility on the same site, adopting more energy-efficient processes, increasing storage capacity and boosting production capability. The facility reduces carbon emissions by increasing the use of recycled materials, with asphalt manufactured containing up to 45% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). The new plant features 8 insulated storage bins and hot mix asphalt bins, with a total storage capacity of nearly 400 tonnes, almost doubling storage capability and providing customers with greater access to high-quality sustainable materials. The larger storage capacity allows the facility to operate continuously for longer periods, reducing the number of shutdowns and restarts, thereby lowering energy consumption. These improvements have increased site efficiency by approximately 55% and reduced overall CO₂ in exhaust gases by 18%. The plant is future-proofed through the installation of burners capable of transitioning to cleaner dimethyl ether fuel, helping to further reduce CO₂ emissions.
Tarmac Regional Operations Director John Riley stated that the new plant reduces its own carbon footprint while also helping customers lower embodied carbon in their supply chain. The cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of the AC20 binder course produced by the new plant is over 4% lower than that from the old plant five years ago. The expanded capability allows the site to produce and supply a wider range of low-carbon asphalts through Tarmac's CEVO asphalt solutions, utilising RAP, bio-binders and warm mix technology.
The Barrasford Quarry is co-located with the plant, which uses quarry-sourced materials wherever possible. A conveyor belt system transports aggregates from the quarry to the plant, reducing Scope 3 emissions from raw material transportation. The quarry and new asphalt plant have been granted permission to extract 20 million tonnes of aggregates over multiple years. Tarmac Senior Operations Manager Kieran Adam said that the Barrasford Quarry and old asphalt plant have been in operation for over 40 years, and the new plant will continue to provide high-quality employment opportunities for Hexham and the surrounding areas.
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