CDE commission new washing plant in Portsmouth
Company installs compact 400 tonnes/h solution for Brett Aggregates’ new site in Portsmouth
CDE, one of the leading providers of wet processing solutions for the natural minerals processing and waste recycling sectors, have commissioned a 400 tonnes/h sand and gravel washing plant in Portsmouth for Brett Aggregates.
With history dating back over 115 years, Brett are a building materials group comprising of seven companies, providing aggregates, concrete, and paving products to commercial and domestic markets. As one of the UK’s leading independent aggregate producers, Brett Aggregates have more 60 locations across the south-east of England and sell around 6 million tonnes of aggregate per year.
Commenting on the two companies’ working relationship William Melanophy, CDE’s head of business development UK & Ireland, said: ‘We have been working with Brett Aggregates on other sites since 2018. With this pre-existing relationship, we’ve been able to showcase our innovation, and the team at Brett Aggregates has seen our technologies in action, so they knew we could deliver the right solution.’
Ben Johnson, production manager for Brett Aggregates, added: ‘This is my first time seeing a CDE plant be installed from the ground up. The installation was well organized and completed in good time. The compact size and the efficiency of the plant really adds value to our operation, allowing us to maximize storage on site.’
One of the biggest challenges with this plant was the limited space. The site is in close proximity to a Royal Navy base, and planning permissions only allowed for a low-level plant. Given the limited space available, CDE designed and commissioned the 400 tonnes/h modular sand wash plant with a compact footprint in order to meet Brett Aggregates’ needs.
To process the marine-dredged material, CDE engineered a solution which consists of an M-Series modular wash plant with integrated hopper, inclined triple-deck Infinity screen, and EvoWash sand washing system.
With Brett Aggregates seeking a plant with a minimal footprint, CDE also provided an AquaCycle thickener for primary-stage water management and AquaStore water tank, both of which work in unison to eliminate the need for settling ponds, which was imperative due to the limited space on site.
The AquaCycle thickener is a compact, highly efficient water-management solution that minimizes water consumption by ensuring up to 90% of the process water is recycled for immediate recirculation. The AquaStore receives the recycled water, which is then recirculated, reducing the volume of fresh water required to feed the washing plant.
Another mechanism to maximize performance in the limited space is the use of a sludge re-blend system. This product is put back into the sand, as typically marine dredged product contains less than 3% silt. This allows Brett Aggregates to control the flow back into the buffer tank and supports the production of high-quality sand products.
CDE’s M4500 modular wash plant integrates feeding, screening, sand and aggregate washing, and stockpiling on a single chassis. The integrated Infinity screen also incorporates a VibroSync drive system, which ensures even distribution of material across the full screening area for efficient dewatering of material.
Meanwhile, the compact, modular EvoWash sand washing system separates the smaller sand and gravel fractions via its own integrated high-frequency dewatering screen, sump, and hydrocyclones, providing superior control of silt cut points and eliminating the loss of quality fines.
CDE also installed their OptiMax technology, which constantly reads live material data in the washing process to monitor the plant’s performance, so that any necessary enhancements can be made.
This solution allows Brett Aggregates to produce two sand products (0–2mm, 0–4mm) and two aggregate products (4–10mm and 10–20mm), which are used for concrete production.
Thanks to their investment with CDE, Brett Aggregates have capitalized on an opportunity to build a successful wharf processing site in Portsmouth which has opened many opportunities in the area and increased business.
Ben Johnson said: ‘It’s been great working with CDE on this project. The maintenance of the plant is straightforward and the aftercare and support has been good. The processing, maintenance, and running of the plant have been consistent since commissioning in early 2024. The team at CDE have been really engaged with us from the start of the process, updating us on the designs, deliveries, and installation milestones, right through to today to ensure the plant is still running as efficiently as possible.’
According to William Melanophy, the plant is exceeding expectations. ‘Both our teams were determined to find a solution that met and exceeded operational requirements. It was exciting to support Brett Aggregates at their new site in Portsmouth. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Brett Aggregates and seeing the progress of this plant in the months and years ahead.’
