A CRUSH ON NORTHERN IRELAND

Invest Northern Ireland explains to Plant Machinery Vehicles Middle East how the Middle East aggregates sector benefits from crushers, screeners, washing systems and other materials processing equipment manufactured by Northern Irish brands.

In the arena of industrial and business achievement, tradition and legacy is a wonderful thing. When the world thinks of passenger cars, Japan and Germany instantly come into the popular imagination; speak of software, we invariably consider India in the conversation; when it comes to electronics manufacturing, China and South Korea dominate the picture; think fashion and luxury lifestyle goods and you cannot not talk of France and Italy.

Similarly, when it comes to the field of materials processing equipment - such as crushers, screeners and washing systems - there is one place that stands tall, distinguishing itself from all others by the tradition and legacy of manufacturing such equipment that it has meticulously built up over time: Northern Ireland.

Today, a high percentage of the world’s mobile-tracked crushing and screening equipment is produced in Northern Ireland, and the region is a hotbed of activity for this segment, harbouring some of the best-known global brands in this area of the construction and mining machinery industry.

These brands are both home-grown Northern Irish brands as well as multinational ones that have based their manufacturing in Northern Ireland.

Names such as the CDE Group, Edge Innovate, Powerscreen, Kiverco, Evoquip, Prostack, Terex Washing Systems, Telestack, Sensoteq, TESAB, MWS Equipment, Smiley Monroe along with Sandvik, McCloskey and Finlay make up a veritable who’s-who of the world of materials processing, crushing, screening and washing systems.

Equipment from almost all of these names can be found all over the Middle East, in various mining, quarrying, construction and other job-sites, where they are proving their quality and excellence every day.

But behind the success of these companies is an environment of excellence and an ecosystem of support that the Northern Ireland officials extend to them. This is exemplified by Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), the official economic development agency that promotes business entities based in Northern Ireland in the Middle East, Africa and India.

Elaborating on the factors behind the excellence that manufacturers from Northern Ireland in the equipment for the mining, quarrying and construction industries bring to customers and end-users in the Middle East, Amit Jain , Sector Lead — Engineering, at Invest NI, says the history of manufacturing excellence in the UK plays a vital role in this reputation for quality.

“Northern Ireland has significantly contributed to the global industrial landscape despite being a small region,” Jain says. “This is especially marked in the development of mobile bulk handling solutions. The Northern Irish manufacturing sector has been a hotbed of innovation for the last 60 years. Northern Ireland produces around 40% of global mobile tracked crushing and screening equipment and has also made impressive strides in developing environmentally friendly mining and recycling machinery, further solidifying its world-stage position.”

And there is no dearth of official support to enable manufacturing in Northern Ireland to keep innovating and improving. Jain informs that ￡100 million has been invested into the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), “a state-of-the-art factory of the future and an innovative powerhouse of advanced manufacturing”, in order to pave the way for future technologies and to turbocharge Northern Ireland's manufacturing capabilities.

“It’s a launch pad for manufacturing innovation that will drive Northern Ireland's global competitiveness. Its commitment to sustainability is unwavering. Through design and innovation, it accelerates the development of net-zero products and solutions to market, helping companies decarbonise their manufacturing processes and supply chains and improve competitiveness through digitally enabled technologies to achieve the goal of net-zero by 2040.”

The companies that Jain is alluding to in the materials processing and aggregates sector all subscribe to the Northern Ireland philosophy of steadfast focus on R&D, with which companies from the region are “not just boosting productivity and meeting global demand; they are making a significant impact on a global scale”.

“This unwavering commitment to innovation, a competitive supply chain, and equipment efficiency improvements is not just paving the way for a promising future; it's reshaping industries worldwide,” Jain emphasises.

Innovative companies are emerging from Northern Ireland, he says, that are becoming key players in revolutionising the aggregates and materials processing industries worldwide and also in the Middle East.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

“Consider the CDE Group, a pioneer in wet processing equipment for quarries, mines and recycling operations, which has supplied a 6,000 tonnes-per-day sand wash plant to one of the largest real estate developments in Kuwait, the Sabah AlAhmad Sea City, and installed one of the world's largest sand washing plants for the Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC) and a sand production plant that minimised the use of water in Saudi Arabia,” Jain reveals.

“Estedama, a fully integrated environmental solutions service company based in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, has invested in a contaminated soil wash plant designed and engineered by CDE. It will process a range of oil-contaminated waste materials from around Saudi Arabia.”

CDE has seen steady growth in the Middle East in the past 18 months and are involved in exciting environmental projects in the region and worldwide.

EDGE Innovate is another trailblazer company from the Northern Ireland, Jain adds, which supplies sophisticated technologies for shredding, stacking, screening and sorting of primary and secondary raw materials in production processes and recycling.

“EDGE Innovate has supplied vital equipment to Saudi Arabia's first construction waste recycling facility, located in Al Khair, a northern district of Riyadh. The new plant, owned by SIRC, spans an area of 1.3 million square metres and deals with construction and demolition waste (CDW). It has been designed to handle approximately 600 tonnes of construction and demolition waste per hour and achieve recycling rates of more than 90%. This is just one among numerous examples of the scale and efficiency of the equipment provided by Northern Ireland companies.”

Elaborating on other well-known brands from Northern Ireland, Jain points out names such as Sensoteq, a market leader in wireless machine health monitoring technology, which has installed remote monitoring sensors on crushing and screening machinery for a large quarry in the UAE.

“Sensoteq implemented its Kappa X wireless triaxial vibration and surface monitoring sensor, a robust sensor with superior connectivity range that continuously monitors the health of critical equipment to ensure optimal operational efficiency in highly noisy and dusty areas, and machinery health for vibrating screens and crushers,” Jain details.

Key features of the Kappa X include real-time data analytics, automated alarms and alerts, as well as timely detailed analysis reports by certified engineers. Jain adds that the impact of the Kappa X is improved machinery reliability, reduced downtime, and enhanced productivity, as well as safety due to making remote monitoring possible of the noisy and high-vibration machines.

Sensoteq's IP 69K-rated Kappa X wireless triaxial vibration sensor was also deployed for monitoring a cooling tower for a facilities management company in Qatar, where it worked in challenging environments.

Another Northern Irish giant, Powerscreen, has over a decade and a half’s presence in the Middle East through its highly trained and professional dealer network. Jain explains that the company has “paved the way towards a paradigm shift in the way crushing and screening is viewed today” in the Middle East with its capabilities to deliver robust and efficient machines across diverse applications.

“Track mounted crushing and screening was once considered a non-pragmatic concept but is now being utilised by customers in infrastructure, mining and recycling applications in this region owing to relentless efforts by Powerscreen along with its dealership network,” he says, adding that the brand’s quality manufacturing bases have led to quicker turnaround times for its machines and helped deliver cutting edge technology aiding fleet management and reducing carbon footprints with its hybrid machines.

FIRST CHOICE IN REGION

“No wonder Powerscreen continues to be the first choice for crushing and screening in the region."

Meanwhile, another Northern Ireland company that has been very active in terms of delivering equipment within the Middle East is Kiverco Ltd., which has been designing, manufacturing and installing recycling solutions globally for over 30 years.

“Their first installation was in Fujairah in 2014 and they have subsequently provided recycling solutions to landmark projects such as al Ula, Red Sea Global and Dulsco among others. Kiverco have over 400 installations globally, many in the construction and demolition waste sector. Their solutions can recover up to 20 recyclable commodities from C&D waste using a combination of manual and automated means in their static and mobile solutions,” describes Jain.

“C&D waste recycling is at a relatively early phase of development and we see that the crushing, screening and recycling expertise available from Northern Ireland companies positions them well to service this exciting new industry.”

Detailing other Northern Ireland companies, Jain adds: “Then there are EvoQuip, an innovator in compact crushing, screening, conveying and shredding equipment; Prostack, a visionary in offering a comprehensive portfolio of products for the bulk materials handling and product stockpiling markets; Terex Washing Systems (TWS), a leader in advanced plant solutions for material and mineral washing across aggregates, recycling and industrial sands; and TESAB Engineering, a trendsetter in crushers, screeners and bulk handling systems for the mining, shipping and quarrying sectors.”

Highlighting more brands in the sector from Northern Ireland that have significant projects to report from the Middle East, he points to Telestack, which specialises in the complete in-house design, manufacture, Installation and commissioning of a full range of mobile bulk material handling solutions for Mining, Ports, Railways, Cement sectors.

“Telestack has delivered mobile ship-loading systems to Salalah port in Oman. The equipment is designed to load limestone, gypsum and cement clinker at up to 1,200tph average rates for Handymax and Panamax / Post-Panamax vessels,” Jain informs.

Among the other leading brands that manufacture their products in Northern Ireland, he reveals that the likes of McCloskey, Finlay and Sandvik have also delivered significant nos. of mobile crushing and screening installations across Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. “These machines have played a significant role in the region's rapidly growing quarrying, mining, and infrastructure sectors,” Jain opines.

As an example, Sandvik has seen a number of deliveries in the region, especially in Oman. Its QI442 mobile impact crusher is a popular model for this territory due to it being on tracks, which is generally preferred over wheeled equipment.

“The Sandvik QI442 is ideally suited to large scale aggregates operations as well as recycling contractors. It offers both a primary and secondary crushing solution in one unit due to its market leading Prisec? technology,” describes Jain.

Like other manufacturers, Sandvik, too, is making strides towards more sustainable products. Alluding to the company’s latest products such as the UJ443E fully-electric jaw crusher, Jain says that features such as electric final drives and onboard gensets make for more sustainable operations while being powered by either an external electricity supply, HVO or diesel when using the onboard genset. The results include lower running costs, and lower onsite emissions and noise levels. Going electric also enables up to a 91% decrease in the use of hydraulic oil on the plant.

“Also, Sandvik’s tracked hydraulically driven equipment manufactured at its factory in Northern Ireland leaves the factory with HVO fuel, (hydrogentreated vegetable oil). Sandvik were the first in the industry to start using HVO in 2021, instead of diesel, which allows for a reduction in CO2 by up to 90% when operating,” Jain says.

He adds that all the Northern Ireland companies are utilising their engineering, technology and construction expertise to contribute to the lowcarbon and net-zero sectors. “Through a dedicated focus on innovative and sustainable solutions backed by supportive government policies, Northern Ireland has created an ecosystem that fosters advanced green technology development, production and export.

“As well as a long-term focus on making crushers and screeners as fuel efficient as possible through technology such as Direct Drive systems, which have reduced fuel consumption by around 13-18%, many Northern Ireland manufacturers are focused on electrification as part of their decarbonisation strategies. These range from large companies like Finlay and Powerscreen, who offer a comprehensive range of electric hybrid crushers and screeners to smaller companies like Screencore that offer dual power jaw crushers, screeners and stackers.

“Companies such as CDE and Terex Washing Systems, that manufacture sand washing machines, are focused on new technology that recycles most of the water used in the cleaning process, protecting a hugely valuable natural resource.”

ALIGNING WITH THE MIDDLE EAST

This focus on sustainability aligns perfectly with the Middle East countries’ focus on eco-friendly future development where mining plays a vital role, especially Saudi Arabia, where the mining industry plays a crucial role in supporting its Vision 2030 goals.

“With many companies providing innovative solutions with diverse applications, Northern Ireland is an ideal partner for fostering mutually beneficial collaborations between Northern Irish and Saudi companies,” Jain explains.

“Northern Ireland is home to a unique cluster of companies whose products have been exported globally to support construction, mining, quarrying, ports, airports and waste recycling projects.

“In Northern Ireland, engineering and manufacturing excellence is supported by a comprehensive supply chain and close collaboration with government and academia. This ensures that our solutions, which are known for their reliability and high performance, consistently deliver economic and environmental benefits.”

Speaking about the services that Invest Northern Ireland offers, Jain explains: “As the regional economic development agency for Northern Ireland, we take pride in our customer-centric approach. Every material, geography, climate and site present different challenges. That is why we collaborate with our customers to provide tailored solutions.

“Invest NI’s team works closely with stakeholders such as quarrying and mining operators, and heavy machinery distributors in the Middle East to help identify their requirements and connect them to the right manufacturer in Northern Ireland.

“Northern Ireland’s materials processing machinery manufacturers are eager to connect with potential equipment distributors and end-users in the Middle East. We help this happen, which can unlock a world of opportunities and offer comprehensive solutions for the success of businesses in the region.”