CDE technology to be used in key Middle East project

Two new wash plants earmarked for major land remediation effort in Kuwait

GLOBAL wet-processing experts CDE – in partnership with Gulf Center United Industrial Equipment Co. and KAK-LAMOR JV/C – have announced plans to supply two contaminated soils wash plants to support the clean-up effort of an estimated 114 sq km of polluted land in Kuwait, as part of one of the largest environmental projects of its kind.

The plans were announced to coincide with World Soils Day (December 5), an international day to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.

Following the destruction of some 700 oil wells in the early 1990s, approximately 26 million cubic metres of soil was contaminated with crude oil, signalling the launch of one of the most extensive remediation programmes involving the cooperation and expertise of a consortium of international partners.

Working alongside industrial and engineering services firm Gulf Center United Industrial Equipment Co., CDE’s longstanding partner in Kuwait, and KAK-LAMOR JV/C, a joint venture between Kuwaiti EPC contractors Khaled Ali Al-Kharafi & Brothers Co. and Finnish remediation specialists Lamor, CDE wet-processing technology will be utilized for the treatment of up to 800,000 tons of contaminated soil per year.

KAK-LAMOR JV/C have appointed CDE to design and engineer a turnkey wash plant for each of the North Kuwait Excavation, Transportation and Remediation (NKETR Zone 1) and South Kuwait Excavation, Transportation and Remediation (SKETR Zone 1) projects.

The two 100 tonnes/h and 140 tonnes/h solutions will process and remediate the coarse soil fraction to eliminate contaminants and recover high-quality washed construction sand and aggregates suitable for reuse.

Moreover, CDE’s expertise in the development of sustainable washing solutions will help to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the overall operation through significant efficiency gains. It is anticipated the two new plants will be commissioned in early 2023.

Ruchin Garg, CDE’s regional manager for the Middle East and Africa, commented: ‘The scale and ambition of this remediation programme cannot be understated. It is a true test of our engineering excellence and a demonstration of how robust and effective CDE technology is at processing contaminated soils. This is, however, a field in which CDE has an established track record of success. Every year, our proven solutions process approximately 20 million tons of contaminated material and various streams of construction and demolition waste around the world.’

Andrew Wilson, business development manager for CDE, added: ‘Alongside our international partners, we are responding to what is one of the most significant environmental crises of our time; one that also has major health and social implications. Guided by our purpose to build our best world, a ton at a time, it is our view that CDE wet-processing technology will prove an essential component as part of the clean-up operation, offering reliable performance, high precision, and superior build quality honed over a celebrated 30-year history.’