Spinning disc spray aids environmental control

Environmental management is being eased on two fronts at major Cory Environmental landfill sites through the use of equipment from ACE Plant - a versatile water spray unit which uses a spinning disc applicator and tri-axle diesel bowsers for the safe refuelling of plant on site


Stricter licensing conditions laid down by the Environment Agency and a more rigorous enforcement of the regulations are the reasons why Cory Environmental has formed a close association with specialist environmental products manufacturer, ACE Plant of Milton Keynes.

“As an environmentally responsible company operating to ISO 14001 standards,” says Cory’s Mucking and Barking Landfills Operations Manager, Ian Edwards, “we need to source our equipment from like thinking manufacturers whom we know will be up to speed on the latest legislation and whose equipment we can, therefore, rely upon to comply in what is a constantly changing regulatory climate.”

On site at Colchester in Essex, Cory handles 250,000 tonnes of non-hazardous, generally domestic waste each year. Everything is brought in by truck and over 150 vehicles use the site each day. For the important dust suppression function, Cory has the latest, highest specification 2,000 gallon capacity unit from ACE and which is fitted with a hydraulic spinning disc water applicator.

The choice of spinning disc applicator is interesting because its ultra lightweight, high-speed carbon fibre disc utilises Formula One racing technology in a system that gravity feeds water onto the disc to achieve anything from a fine mist to a site drenching deluge. A reducing valve, pre-set to the required flow, regulates discharge. Using less water than pressurised systems the spinning disc system is more efficient in its use of resources.

As an example, under pressure, 2,000 gallons of water takes a matter of only eight minutes to discharge whilst, with the hydraulic spinner, this can be extended up to ninety minutes with the knock-on benefits of not needing to re-fill the tank so frequently and that one man can do so much more dampening. On larger sites, the use of the spinning disc system can mean the deployment of only one machine where several had been needed previously.

The spinning disc system also maximises performance when chemical additives are required thanks to the atomising effect produced by the high- speed disc.

Handling diesel fuel

Operators of landfill sites are under even greater pressure from the Environment Agency, Local Authority planners and the Health and Safety Executive, when it comes to handling diesel fuel on site.

New Europe-wide regulations are currently being negotiated and the need for tighter regulation is clear because, according to Environment Agency statistics, there are more than 5,000 reported oil related incidents each year, mostly caused by oil leaking from tanks either during storage or delivery.

ACE Plant has for many years manufactured its “Bundie Bowser” brand of bunded fuel bowsers. All-steel, double welded (inside and out), bunded to 110% of capacity and pressure tested, the bowser is ruggedly constructed for use in the extractive, nuclear and demolition industries, in addition to the waste and forestry sectors.
On site at Colchester, Cory has seven machines (a compactor, two dozers, one tracked excavator, two ADTs and one JCB plus an agricultural tractor for towing the dust suppression and bowser equipment). Constantly in operation and requiring regular re-fuelling, these machines use between 800 and 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel each day and, for the purpose of re-fuelling them, Cory has invested in two of ACE Plant’s latest 2,500 gallon capacity, tri-axle bowsers.
Fitted with electric start Yanmar diesel engine powered refuelling pumps and flow meters, the bowsers are towed around site to enable refuelling in-situ, which, on this large site, is very much more efficient than driving each machine back to base for the purpose.

With a wide range of equipment and choice of specification, ACE not only offers options for fuel storage on site, it operates a bespoke service for special applications. An example is Cory’s ISO container, ADT mounted bowser, located at the Mucking landfill in Essex, which serves 23 machines daily.

Summing up the relationship with ACE Plant, Ian Edwards says, “It’s a confidence thing. Between these two sites we handle over 4,000 tonnes of non-hazardous, domestic, industrial and commercial waste each day.

“To keep these and our other sites operational, we need a reliable partner manufacturing a range of equipment for all applications and which complies with current and anticipated regulations. ACE Plant produces a quality product at a reasonable price – and we can get parts promptly. Their manufacturing flexibility and bespoke design service makes life easier for us and, overall, our association with them removes at least one headache from the business of operating our landfill sites.”


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