New Volvo EC220D excavator for JJ Prior

New 22-tonne excavator replaces like with like at company’s Fingringhoe site in Essex

‘THE best of both worlds’ is the sentiment of JJ Prior’s general manager and company director, Jon Dix, as he summarizes the company’s decision to replace like with like and add another 22-tonne Volvo excavator to the company’s Fingringhoe extraction facility, near Colchester, in Essex.

The new EC220D takes over from a two-year-old machine and, according to Mr Dix, represents the best value for money on the market endorsed by the best level of after-market service support.

The machine is in charge of primary sand and gravel extraction at the expansive Fingringhoe site, loading material into a field hopper which feeds the washing plant some 2km from the dig zone.

Mr Dix explained: ‘The site here has been in operation since 1933 and over that time we have extracted material from approximately 458 acres. We have a unique family business which was established 146 years ago supplying aggregate to customers in London. Everything we extract here at Fingringhoe is shipped out by boat to our wholly-owned wharf in Greenwich – the closest working wharf to central London.’

Nothing leaves the site by road – instead, around 12 barge loads per week leave the Fingringhoe wharf bound for Greenwich, each carrying around 280 tonnes of material and working around the clock. At both ends of the operation the barges are loaded and unloaded by Stothert & Pitt dockside cranes, with the Fingringhoe machine still in operation since the site started up in 1933!

Keeping the plant fed with material, the 22-tonne EC220D is powered by a Volvo Stage IIIB D6 engine, delivering 175hp (129kW) of power and 849Nm of torque. The operator can select the best work mode for the task at hand, ensuring optimum performance and fuel efficiency.

For complete peace of mind, JJ Prior Ltd have taken out a Volvo Gold Service agreement on the new machine, whereby Volvo Construction Equipment fully take care of the repair and maintenance of the machine. ‘The support we get from Volvo is really first class,’ said Mr Dix. ‘We’ve tried other makes, but in my opinion Volvo win hands down.’