Brown and Mason deploys Sandvik crushers at Rugeley B

The Sandvik QJ341 machines’ reverse crushing action enable Brown and Mason to process materials with a high steel content.

The family-run company, which has carried out the decommissioning and site clearance of around 55 power stations to date, is currently using the Sandvik QJ341 machines to process the site’s demolition debris into smaller reusable materials.

The Sandvik QJ341 crusher weighs 48.9 t and can process up to 400 t of material an hour.

It features a C12 jaw crusher with adjustable jaw settings and a hydraulic drive that allows users to start the machine while under load.

According to Sweden-based Sandvik, the reverse crushing action of the QJ341 machines allowed Brown and Mason to relieve blockages caused by the high level of steel content in the power plant’s rubble.

While Brown and Mason already owned two QJ341 crushers, it added a third to its equipment fleet due to the size of the project.

Nick Brown, managing director of Brown and Mason, said: “With the reliability of the QJ341 and aftermarket support we have received, Sandvik was the first choice of supply when it came to investment in an additional unit.”

Rugeley B power station was built in the 1970s and comprised two 500 MW coal-fired generating units and four 117 m tall reinforced concrete cooling towers.

The company’s third crusher was supplied by Sandvik official distributor Retec Equipment, following the demolition of the plant’s four cooling towers on 6 June, 2021.

Located in the English midlands, Rugeley B power station was built in the 1970s and comprised two 500 MW coal-fired generating units and four 117 m tall reinforced concrete cooling towers. It was built in the 1970s and was closed down in 2016 after roughly 40 years in operation.

Brown and Mason, which is reported to have an average waste recycle rate of 98% across its projects, was contracted to decommission the facility in April 2018 by its owner Engie Group. 

Brown and Mason is scheduled to finish clearing the site in September. The site will then be redeveloped into a low-carbon mixed use residential area, that is said to include the construction of around 2,300 homes and a school. 

The Sandvik QJ341 crusher weighs 48.9 t and can process up to 400 t of material an hour.