North Wales firm Jones Bros is making good progress on the construction of the UK’s first eco-lining for a huge containment cell at a former quarry which will hold Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA), from Aberthaw coal fired power station and is part of an RWE npower restoration project to restore the quarry to an area of agricultural use.

It is the first time in the UK that colliery shale has been recycled for use as a geological barrier for such a cell. The environmentally-friendly move uses up vast amounts of waste material which would normally have gone to landfill.

The new material creates a geological barrier which has attenuation properties similar to those constructed using more conventional materials, and it has the added benefit of saving on waste, a vital consideration as government increases pressure on UK industries to improve their green credentials.

It is located in a disused area of Aberthaw North Quarry, not far from the power station where surplus PFA from the combustion process, will be deposited.

Jones Bros, who are experts in containment cell construction, were commissioned to prepare and line the massive site.

The project involves excavating a 250,000 cubic metres of rock from the existing quarry floor, processing 100,000 tonnes of rock into drainage stone to form part of the cell lining and the placement of 80,000m2 of geotextile and shale on top.

The £2m plus contract involves a 30-strong Jones Bros workforce who have been working on site since August.

This latest contract for the expanding family company, headquartered in Ruthin, Denbighshire, follows on from a previous contract on the £3m first phase of the containment cell project in 2008. The company also won the £1.5m contract to construct a 20,000m2 coal handling storage concrete hard standing area at the power station in 2007.

Jones Bros contracts director, John Dielhof, said “We are making good progress in the five month construction programme. Key to keeping on schedule has been the expertise and experience of our team at Aberthaw and, especially in the early stages, the use of our large PC800 excavator along with a positive and open working relationship with the RWE npower’s Aberthaw project team.”

Jones Bros has been involved in the construction of landfill containment cells since 1990.
It was an early leader in the laying of high-density polyethylene geomembranes, and the ground preparations required of sites in readiness for landfill.