Whitham Mills scoops second UAE contract

Posted by on 17 Aug 2017

GREATER MANCHESTER-headquartered waste management machinery designer and manufacturer, Whitham Mills, has won a contract to provide a state-of-the-art GB-1111FS baler and accompanying feed conveyor equipment to the Gulf emirate of Ajman.

The engineering firm – which recently reported a 35 per cent increase in year-on-year turnover – has been appointed by AIMS Group (Ajman Investment and Marketing Services) to export and install the machinery at Ajman’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF). Capable of processing up to 800 tonnes of MSW per day, it is one of the most technology-enabled MRFs in the region.

Ajman is located to the north of Dubai and is one of the seven emirates in the UAE. It has achieved a 70 per cent recycling rate in less than a decade and is leading the race to record zero waste sent to landfill – a goal the rest of the UAE is hoping to achieve by 2030.

The contract win is Whitham Mills’ second in the Gulf in less than a year, having previously been appointed to deliver its industry-leading recycling machinery to neighbouring Ras al-Khaimah.

Supplied by a 12,000lb feed conveyor, the GB-1111FS is fully automatic and able to process up to 50 tonnes per hour of municipal solid waste. It can compress and wrap bales of up 1500kg, with dimensions of 1100mm x 1100mm x 1500mm.

Whitham Mills’ engineers completed the install on schedule and without issue, despite challenging temperatures of up to 48 degrees Celsius.

Dr Shaheed Khader, General Manager of AIMS Group, said: “Ajman is one of the fastest growing emirates in the UAE and is focussing to be the cleanest emirate as per vision of His Highness The Ruler of Ajman.

“With the addition of new recycling initiatives and policies, the emirate is targeting between a 75- 85 per cent recovery, and therefore reduction, of the waste going to landfill.

“In lieu of this, and to increase the life of existing landfill space, AIMS Group has procured waste baling machinery to process the residual waste which remains following recovery of recyclables.

“AIMS Group has identified the fully automatic Baler GB-1111FS from Whitham Mills to be the most suitable baler to meet the requirements. The baler is performing as per specifications and AIMS group is looking to procure a recyclable baler from Whitham Mills in the future.”

Whitham Mills’ managing director, Ben Smart, added: “Demand for well-designed and manufactured recycling machinery in the UAE is increasing in line with the country’s focus on meeting sustainability targets.

“We’re the fastest growing supplier of waste management technology in the UK, and find ‘Brand Britain’ still has tremendous value when exporting around the world. Our engineers are deservedly held in high regard.

“Equipment in the Middle East needs to be capable of operating in a challenging climate, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius. Customers want to know they are buying quality; not only in the machinery itself, but in the end-to-end service of install, maintenance and consumable supply that we’re rapidly establishing a reputation for at Whitham Mills.”