Brett helping to deliver UK’s newest container port

Company taking delivery of marine aggregates from London Gateway dredging operations 

BRETT Aggregates have been awarded a contract to take delivery of aggregates from dredging that is taking place in the river Thames to allow some of the largest ships in the world to call at London Gateway in Essex, the UK’s new deep-water port.

The Laing O’Rourke and Dredging International (LORDI) joint venture is the main contractor appointed by DP World to deliver both the deep-water container port and Europe’s largest logistics park to service the UK.

To date, some 1.6 million tonnes of marine aggregates has been delivered into Brett Aggregates’ Cliffe site, in Kent, by Dredging International’s large gravel dredgers Victor Horta and Charlemagne, which are capable of landing approximately 10,000 tonnes of aggregates every 10 hours.

A 24 hours a day, seven days a week flexible shift pattern for those on site at Cliffe means that Brett Aggregates are able to respond quickly and efficiently to fit in with LORDI’s construction programme.

‘During some of the busiest campaigns we have taken up to 250,000 tonnes of aggregate in one month, which has meant all hands on deck,’ commented area production manager Derek Knight.

Some of the aggregate is processed and rail freighted directly from Cliffe into London to service the London construction markets.

A recent upgrade to the Cliffe plant, including the installation of new Seibtechnik and Metso screens in September, means it can now process in excess of 2 million tonnes of aggregate per year, creating enhanced future capacity for the site.