Shanks secures six-year contract extension with HeidelbergCement

Industry waste-to-product business, Shanks Group plc, has secured a six-year contract extension with HeidelbergCement Group for the supply of ICOPOWER® energy pellets.

Under the contract, Icopower, part of Shanks’ Solid Waste Division will supply HeidelbergCement Group with an increased volume of 54,000tpaof its  ICOPOWER® energy pellets. Shanks has developed a tailored production process to make the pellets using a unique combination of sorting, drying and pelletising technology. The fuel is used to power cement kilns and is also used to produce clinker. This strategic partnership provides Heidelberg Cement Group with guaranteed high-quality sustainable fuel while also securing an outlet for Shanks’ fuel production for the next six years, the company explains.

Shanks uses specifically collected commercial waste to ensure the high calorific ICOPOWER® energy pellets meet strict production specifications. Unlike solid recovered fuel (SRF) or refuse derived fuel (RDF), ICOPOWER® energy pellets are not classified as a waste product in The Netherlands due to their consistent and specific chemical composition.

To store its stock of the pellets, Shanks is investing in a 2,300m2 storage shed at its Icova site in Amsterdam which will optimise operations, increase efficiency and reduce costs. The new storage shed, which is due to be completed in September, will store the ICOPOWER® energy pellets ahead of its shipment to Shanks’ customers in Scandinavia.

Michael van Hulst, Managing Director of Shanks’ Commercial Division, said: “The extension of this important contract is in line with our strategy of making more from waste. It provides us with a guaranteed outlet for our energy pellets for the next six years and also generates cost savings through increased efficiencies.”