Coleshill STW Coleshill (Suez) Installation of SSU:200

Suez operates one of the largest road sweepings washing and recovery facilities in the midlands. Based in Coleshill and taking road sweepings waste from Lancashire, Warwickshire, North London, Leicestershire and Gloucestershire the site processes around 26,000 tonnes per year. A new fines recovery system introduced by Suez has resulted in significant operational efficiencies due to the increased removal of ultrafine particles contained within the effluent currently being discharged

Removing the ultrafine particles from effluent

The removal of ultrafine particles from the effluent prior to discharge in to the sewage works is crucial as the disposal costs are greatly increased dependent on the amount of suspended solids it contains. Since the introduction of the SSU:200 Mobile screening unit, a product developed by DBS Processing Ltd, there has been an 80% (60,000 litres per hour) reduction in the total amount of water being used to run the entire processing plant. The overall ultrafine particles in the liquid have been considerably reduced resulting in monthly savings of approximately £25,000. A major success of the SSU:200 system is its ability to clean the effluent sufficiently to allow it to be reused within the primary washing process again.

Simple to install

The SSU:200 was installed for Suez as an immediate solution to increasing operational costs due to additional tonnages being processed at the site, the screening system has been in operation since mid September 2016 delivering a substantial cost saving while having no negative impact on the sites ability to process at full capacity during or after installation. This was achievable due to the mobile nature of the screening system, the rapid installation and set up time meant that the machine was fully installed other than a single pipe connection which was subsequently completed outside of processing hours. Another key aspect of the SSU:200 was its small foot print, alternative systems considered by Suez would need a larger area for the installation meaning an increased use of an already limited amount of space on site

Processing ability and ease of use

The SSU:200 has a maximum power requirement of 37kw (excluding recirculation pump) which means it can be easily installed on site with the use of a 63amp plug. The system is capable of processing 180,000 litres of liquid per hour and able to effectively separate up to 40 tonnes of grit or sand per hour. This processing is done effortlessly as it does not require any manual intervention during normal working conditions and requires very little preventative maintenance or servicing in order to keep the machine at an optimum operational state.

Why DBS Processing Ltd

DBS Processing Ltd with its SSU:200 was the obvious choice for Suez as they have delivered various innovative solutions and maintenance for a number of years, demonstrating an exceptional level of customer service, expertise and professionalism.

Background

SUEZ operates several street sweepings recycling facilities across the UK, processing tens of thousands of tonnes of material each year. At their Neachells Lane plant in Birmingham, recovered organic material was being sent for composting with a high moisture content — around 20% water by weight. This water added significant cost in terms of transport and gate fees, as well as contributing to excess leachate at the composting site.

To address this, SUEZ partnered with DBS Processing Ltd to develop and trial a solution to reduce the water content in the organic fraction.

The Challenge

Approx. 14,000 tonnes of organics processed annually Average 20.7% of the weight made up of water The excess water significantly increased disposal costs Added strain on leachate management at the composting facility More frequent vehicle movements, increasing operational and environmental impact

The DBS Solution

DBS designed and supplied a compact, portable compaction system, engineered to integrate with the existing road sweepings process flow. This included:

A bespoke mini compactor tailored to handle organic fines
A portable tipping skip and scales for accurate measurement
Seamless integration into the Neachells Lane operation for a controlled trial
On-site support and analysis to ensure robust results

Results

The trial delivered strong outcomes:

Average 20.7% water removed from the organic fraction
Estimated £72,450 annual saving in gate fees
Reduction of 137 truck movements per year
Lower carbon emissions and reduced leachate at composting site
Strong data to support future investment in a permanent compaction system