DB Schenker partners with customer to deliver exciting eco-solution for construction industry
2nd July 2015
DB Schenker Rail UK has launched its first services from Burngullow near St.Austell in Cornwall to London, transporting eco-friendly materials for the construction industry.
The service will carry aggregates to DB Schenker Rail UKs construction hub in Stratford, near Queen Elizabeth Park, on behalf of London based S.Walsh & Sons.
The aggregates are a by-product from the production of china clay by the company Imerys, a world leader in mineral based speciality solutions for industry. Every tonne of china clay produced can generate between 5 to 9 tonnes of waste materials, a significant proportion of which has the potential for use as a secondary aggregate.
The Cornish granite, which meets the requirements of sustainable building in the UK, can be used to produce concrete, building blocks and asphalt. Traditionally much of the granite has remained in Cornwall but the increasing demand for eco-friendly sources of building materials combined with economic distribution methods means that the material can now be used in London and the South East, where there is a shortage of locally produced materials.
Over the last 18 months DB Schenker Rail UK has worked with Imerys and construction solutions provider S.Walsh & Sons to develop a cost-effective means to transport the materials.
The first train left Cornwall on Monday 15th June, with a second making the journey on Wednesday 17th June. Each train will carry 1,200 tonnes of granite to London.
David Fletcher, Head of Construction Sales for DB Schenker Rail UK, said:
This is the first time that S.Walsh & Sons has used rail transport and we are delighted to be working with them to transfer the product to London where it can be used by the construction industry.
As the leading supplier of rail services to the construction sector this is an exciting and eco-friendly project that we are proud to be part of.
Westley Pickup, Commercial Director at S.Walsh & Sons, said:
We are pleased to be working in partnership with Imerys Minerals and DB Schenker Rail UK in promoting the use of secondary Granite aggregate for construction in Greater London. The partnership has helped to realise the potential of this material for construction projects, which will support the economy in Cornwall in the future.
Cornish granite represents the largest untapped reserve of aggregate in the United Kingdom where hundreds of millions of tonnes are available for use in concrete, building products and asphalt. We are now progressing plans to develop a network of manufacturing facilities to provide the most sustainable building products in the UK through major investment.
John Hodkin, Business Development and Services Manager at Imerys, added:
We are very pleased to be a part of this new initiative, which is very much in line with Imerys strategy for focusing on greater sustainability around its operations by reducing the amount of china clay waste sent to tips and increasing the future use of secondary aggregates produced from these by-products.