CSH Environmental Ltd improve biomass processing with CRJ machines

CSH Environmental Ltd (CSH) is a trade waste specialist, offering a comprehensive range of waste disposal and management solutions to a variety of commercial and domestic clients.

With over 40 years’ experience, CSH operate the most advanced recycling centre in the Colchester, Chelmsford, and Ipswich regions. Much like CRJ Services, CSH is committed to a truly circular economy, reflected in their strapline ‘Recycling for the Future’. Using state of the art technology, CSH divert 98% of the waste they receive away from landfill and have a target to reach 100% in the near future.

Wood made up 13% of the 70,085 tonnes of material received by CSH in 2021. This wood is often sent as biomass to a local waste-to-energy plant, to generate green energy. Following a recommendation from another waste company, CSH approached CRJ Services for an equipment solution to improve their wood processing set-up. By increasing the quality of their final product, CSH will have a larger scope of outlets for their material.

'We have found CRJ Services to be straightforward and proactive. Couldn’t ask for more at the moment.'

— Daniel Cox,  Operations Director at CSH Environmental Ltd.

Improving the quality of a biomass product involves removing the fine fraction, which is generated as the wood is shredded. For this element of the process, CRJ Services provided a Doppstadt SM518 trommel fitted with a 10mm drum. The trommel was able to remove the sub 10mm fine fraction, which equates to 10% of the total material, considerably improving the quality of their biomass product.

The remaining plus 10mm product still has a significant metal content, which is to be expected in a shredded wood material stream. To remove both the ferrous and non-ferrous metal, CRJ Services supplied CSH with a new Steelweld ECS1500 – Eddy Current Separator. Thanks to its unique low infeed height, the ECS can be fed directly by their new trommel, reducing the use of an intermediary material handler. The oversize material enters a vibrating infeed hopper which feeds the material over a rare earth drum magnet, extracting the ferrous metal fraction which is then stockpiled. The remaining material then falls onto a conveyor which then presents it to a rotating eddy current magnet, thereby extracting the non-ferrous metal fraction. With both the metallic fractions removed, the remaining metal free wood chip is ejected and stockpiled.

CSH has calculated that the Eddy Current Separator is removing 2% of the material as non-ferrous metals, and 4% as ferrous metal, further improving the quality of their final biomass material.

'It has been a pleasure dealing with Daniel and CSH Environmental. They take their zero waste to landfill target very seriously, and we are thrilled to be able to supply them with quality machinery to assist them in this journey.'

— Mike Symon, Area Sales Manager, CRJ Services Ltd.

Both machines have proved very economical on fuel, with the trommel running at a fuel cost of £1.65 per hour, and the Eddy Current Separator at £1.98 per hour. With the two machines processing material at an average of 25 tonnes per hour, the fuel cost is £0.07 and £0.08 per tonne respectively.

'The two-machine set-up is allowing us to process an average of 25tph. The fuel economy is fantastic. We are very happy with both machines.'

— Daniel Cox, Operations Director at CSH Environmental Ltd.