In late 2020, Jansen Recycling Group was approached by a UK-based joint venture regarding the dismantling possibilities of a massive tunnel boring machine used in one of their infrastructure projects.
2020
Year
700
Tonnes
8
Parts
A tunnel boring machine (TBM) was deployed for a major infrastructure project in London, a city that has long struggled with outdated drainage and sewer systems. To address these issues, a new sewer tunnel was required — stretching 25 kilometres in length and measuring 9 metres in diameter. In total, six TBMs were used to complete the tunnel.
After this particular machine had excavated over 7 kilometres of tunnel, it was decommissioned and removed. The TBM was brought to the surface right in the heart of London. However, due to space constraints, it was not possible to dismantle the machine on-site.
Ultimately, the TBM was transported to our facility in Vlaardingen, the Netherlands — a strategic location with direct access to the sea. The machine was delivered in eight separate parts. The cutterhead, weighing a massive 700 tonnes, was the heaviest component and was lifted onto the quay by the Matador 3, a powerful floating sheerleg. The remaining seven parts were hoisted from various coasters onto the quay by Mammoet’s heavy-duty crane.
Jansen Recycling Group was entrusted with the complex task of dismantling the entire machine and converting it into secondary raw materials — giving this impressive piece of engineering a second life. We are proud of our colleagues and partners who contributed to this remarkable project.
