Aggregate Industries dig deep for Woodsmith Mine

Company provides over 100,000 tonnes of aggregate for groundbreaking Yorkshire potash mine development

AGGREGATE Industries have been playing a vital role in in keeping work on schedule at a groundbreaking potash mine development in North Yorkshire.

In November 2016, fertilizer producers Sirius Minerals announced plans to press ahead with a funding deal to start the construction of the vast new potash mine at Sneatonthorpe, near Whitby, since named Woodsmith Mine.

The £2 billion development, which is now well under way, will incorporate a mine head with shafts 1,500m deep and a 23-mile underground tunnel to transport the potash to Wilton International near Redcar.

Core to the state-of-the-art project has been the supply and delivery of high quality hardstone aggregate for use in road construction and ground stabilization works, for which earthworks contractors Collins Earthworks called on the services of Aggregate Industries.

During the course of seven months, from May to December 2017, Aggregate Industries supplied 81,000 tonnes of Type 3 sub-base and 9,000 tonnes of Type 1 sub-base. A further 20,000 tonnes of material was provided during January and February 2018.

In order to effectively and sustainably manage the scale of the supply demands, material was sourced from Aggregate Industries’ Glensanda Quarry, on the west coast of Scotland, and shipped to Teesside, before being road hauled direct to the project at rates in excess of 500 tonnes per day.

Thanking Aggregate Industries for providing an efficient service and helping to keep the project on schedule, Dave Shaw, site manager at Collins Earthworks, said: ‘Working on a project of this calibre and scale, it is vital to partner with genuine experts…and Aggregate Industries haven’t failed to deliver. I’m sure this relationship will continue as we progress the project over the next four years.’

Aggregate Industries’ John Taylor, sales manager for aggregates North, commented: ‘Having worked on numerous projects of this size, we were able to apply our learnings to ensure an even more robust approach to the aggregate supply.

‘From working closely with Collins Earthworks at the inventory stages, we have put a stringent plan in place to ensure a continuity of supply without disruption, ensuring the teams have the exact specific technical and quality specification of aggregate as and when they need it.’