Major conveyor investment at Torr Works

New £4 million conveyor system will boost productivity and sustainability at Holcim UK super quarry

HOLCIM UK have made a significant investment in both productivity and sustainability at their Torr Works super quarry in Somerset with the introduction of a new, multi-million-pound uphill conveyor system.

Situated a few miles from the town of Shepton Mallet, the c.5.5 million tonnes/annum Torr limestone quarry offers a broad range of high-quality aggregates for construction projects and specialized applications across the UK.

The investment of £4 million into the new, 250m conveyor system was essential to support the relocation of the mobile primary crusher – which has been in operation for the past 40 years – for the continued extraction of limestone from a lower bench of the quarry floor.

The conveyor system will play a vital role in carrying greater loads of crushed materials from the new working floor to the processing facility at the far side of the complex, from where it is then distributed to customers via lorry and rail.

Moreover, the new system brings considerable sustainable benefits to the work at Torr. This is because it negates the need for loading haul vehicles to transport up to 2,000 tonnes of stone that are processed every hour, thereby significantly reducing the carbon footprint on site while maximizing efficiencies.

Commenting on the investment, works manager Ashley Lockyer said: ‘We are delighted with the investment in the new conveyor system at Torr Works, which will be pivotal for ensuring that we can continue extracting rock both sustainably and efficiently, delivering the products for our customers at the rate that they demand it.’

James Pike, regional director for southwest aggregates at Holcim, added: ‘The only way we could deliver such a big project was with the help of the wider Holcim group, who supported us with the funding. The actual implementation of the system, however, has been overseen by our team on the ground, who have worked tirelessly to make this innovation a reality.

‘Torr is such an important quarry for all of Holcim, and we play an integral multidisciplinary role within the business. Having the right people on site, from project manager to operators, was vital for ensuring that this project was delivered on time.’