Contract Win Cements Relationship

Hydrock's Remediation Contracting arm has won a major contract with CEMEX to decommission, demolish and remediate their former works at Rochester.


Hydrock’s Remediation Contracting arm has won a major contract with CEMEX to decommission, demolish and remediate their former works at Rochester. The works are driven by CEMEX’s plans to close down and redevelop this old cement works and move production to newer state-of-the-art facilities in Tilbury.

Although the actual manufacture of cement clinker in the kiln at the 13 hectare site at Halling near Rochester in Kent ended in 2002, the plant has continued to mill clinker brought in from other CEMEX plants at Rugby and Barrington in Cambridgeshire to produce cement for the local market. With a new grinding plant at Tilbury the plan for the site, which is part of a wider 77 hectare land holding, is redevelopment following the granting of planning permission by Medway Council into a mixed-used lakeside community.

Hydrock, as lead remediation advisor and principal contractor for the demolition and remediation works, has been working with CEMEX since 2008 to ensure a seamless transition from a working plant, through to closure, demolition and remediation prior to redevelopment. The company was awarded the contract based on an outstanding health and safety record on previous CEMEX contracts and the client’s confidence in their combined consultancy and contracting expertise. “Hydrock investigated the problem, came up with the best commercial plan and as principal contractors will make sure that they stick to the plan whilst carefully managing Health, Safety and Environmental Risks. They make our life easy! They have invaluable recent experience of completing similar works at our other plants such as Chinnor Cement Works” Dan Panormo, Principal Development Surveyor.

Hydrock faces significant challenges in carrying out the works which include the demolition of an 11 ha works, including a 300 ft chimney, working adjacent to an oil pipeline, high voltage overhead power lines on both sides of the site, the management of asbestos removal and controlling high levels of dust which have accumulated over years of cement production at the plant. Hydrock has previously successfully delivered similar schemes for CEMEX at its former plants including the Lytag Manufacturing Plant, Eggborough in North Humberside as well as CEMEX’s former works at Chinnor.

Works will commence on 1st March 2010 and the programme is likely to last six to nine months. ‘This is an exciting and challenging project’ commented Richard Yarnold, Operations Manager for Hydrock, Principal Contractor for the Demolition & Remediation Works. ‘We will be aiming to recover and recycle as much of the construction materials as possible and will be working closely with CEMEX and the Health and Safety Executive to ensure the project runs smoothly, without incident and with the absolute minimum of disruption.’

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