Tarmac is proposing a major redevelopment of its Cotesbach Landfill site at Shawell, Leicestershire, with concrete production and recycled construction materials forming a central part of plans to transform the former quarry.
A key part of the development is a new aggregate washing plant, which would process construction and demolition waste to recover high-quality recycled aggregates. Rather than simply exporting all of this material, Tarmac proposes using part of the recycled aggregate directly on site as feedstock for both a ready-mixed concrete (RMX) plant and a new concrete block manufacturing plant. The RMX facility would manufacture concrete for delivery by mixer trucks, while the block plant is described as a carbon-neutral concrete block manufacturing facility. There is also a proposed Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) facility. Non-recyclable waste would be processed into an alternative fuel, with the applicant estimating that its use could displace fossil-fuel consumption equivalent to ~68,000 tonnes of coal each year. Energy generation is intended to further reduce the carbon intensity of the concrete and recycling operations. The development includes a 23 MW solar array and battery energy-storage system, alongside 12 MW gas reciprocating engines using processed landfill gas.