Tarmac has unveiled a state-of-the-art asphalt plant inside the M25 at Harper Lane, Hertfordshire. 

This is part of Tarmac’s strategy to support the UK’s infrastructure growth, including the planned £15bn investment in strategic roads, which will see 1,300 new miles of lanes added to motorways and A-roads over the next five years.

The £6.6m plant replaces an older 1960s operation. It has greater capacity, is more efficient, and can manufacture a wider range of products, including lower temperature asphalts. Key points are:

  • The plant boosts Tarmac’s capacity to supply sustainable asphalt solutions into London and the South East
  • The first UK plant to use high capacity cold Recycled Asphalt Planings (RAP) technology to create mixes containing up to 55% recycled content, supporting Tarmac’s commitment to increase the amount of waste materials it re-uses each year
  • Reduces CO2 levels and produces a wide range of sustainable construction solutions, including lower temperature asphalts, which can reduce the carbon footprint of road projects by 15 to 25%
  • Harper Lane has rail links, bringing essential road stone directly into the South East to supply the region’s 18 new major road projects, which include upgrading one-third of the junctions on the M25, and improvements to the A27
  • The plant is a Benninghoven BA5000U - supplied by Wirtgen.

Cyrille Ragoucy, chief executive officer of Tarmac, 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 Harper Lane plant is part of a major investment that Tarmac is making in its aggregate and asphalt footprint across the south of England over the next 18 months. This has seen the company install the combined Terex AggreSand 206 modular wash plant and AggreScrub150 in its quarries at Broom South in Bedfordshire, and Stanninghall in Norfolk. Tarmac is also investing in additional RAP capabilities at its asphalt operations in Stevenage, Trowse, and Parkstone.

The investment programme will see Tarmac’s Aggregates and Asphalt and Contracting businesses create more than 115 new jobs across the south of England over the next three years. In 2014/2015 Tarmac took on 91 new apprentices, higher apprentices and graduate trainees, and the 2015/2016 intake will number a further 33 graduates, 80 apprentices, and five higher apprentices across its business.

Picture caption: Matt Goodwin, operational management trainee and Iain Blackaller, site manager.