Dismantling a tunnel boring machine
In late 2020, Jansen Recycling Group was contacted by a British joint venture that wanted to know if Jansen Recycling Group could dismantle an enormous tunnel boring machine that they were using for a project.
The project took place in London, a city that has been struggling with its drainage and sewerage system for quite some time. To tackle this problem, a 25-kilometre-long sewerage pipe with a 9-metre diameter was needed. A total of 6 tunnel boring machines were used to excavate tunnels for this sewerage pipe. After this particular tunnel boring machine had completed its stretch of over 7 kilometres, it was retired for dismantling.
It was lifted out of the ground right in the heart of London. The problem was, however, that there was no space to dismantle the tunnel boring machine there. It was ultimately taken to our Vlaardingen site, because it is easily accessible by sea.
The tunnel boring machine was shipped to our site in eight parts. Weighing 700 metric tons, the heaviest part of the machine, the cutter head, was lifted onto the quay by the Matador 3, a huge floating sheerleg. The other 7 parts of the tunnel boring machine were hoisted from the various coasters and placed on the quay using a Mammoet crane.
It is now up to Jansen Recycling Group to dismantle the parts completely and ultimately turn the materials into a secondary raw material. We are extremely proud of our colleagues and partners who are involved in this project!