PGC calls on JCB for massive groundworks project

Worcestershire-based PGC Contractors Ltd have taken delivery of a range of new models – six JS130 tracked excavators, two JS 220 tracked excavators and five 3CX Sitemaster backhoe loaders – and put several straight to work on site, most notably at Oldbury in the West Midlands. This particular project, on behalf of VINCI Construction UK Ltd, is to build a new plant for Chinook Sciences Ltd and Innovative Environmental Solutions (IES). It is set to become one of the UKs largest facilities dealing with post shredder residues from end-of-life vehicles.

PGC managing director, Dave Spencer said: ‘We chose JCB for the service, support and overall package provided by our dealer Gunn JCB and for the quality of the machines themselves. The tracked excavator models are superb ground workers with impressive outputs and they are extremely compact in relation to their stability and power.’

The facility at Oldbury will have the capacity to process up to 190,000 tonnes-a-year of the material which is left after ELVs are shredded, recovering metals, plastics and aggregates which will then be sent on to re-processors.

The remaining material - wood, foam and plastics - is then treated using Chinook Sciences’ advanced thermal treatment to generate up to 40MWh of electricity which is returned to the National Grid with only a minor percentage of material sent to landfill.