A new £15m lightweight aggregate facility has been built by Aggregate Industries.
A leading supplier and manufacturer of construction and building materials, Aggregate Industries, has invested £15million into a new manufacturing facility within the grounds of Drax power station in Selby, North Yorkshire.
The new plant is dedicated to the production of Lytag – a lightweight aggregate that uses Pulverised Fly Ash (PFA), a by-product of coal-fired power generation.
In production for more than 50 years, Lytag lightweight aggregate is made using innovative technology which transforms fly ash into small pellets which are then heated to 1,100°C. The pellets formed are rounded in shape and range in size from 14 mm down to fines and can be used as a superior, consistent, lightweight aggregate that is up to 50 per cent lighter than natural aggregate.
Steve Curley, General Manager from Aggregate Industries, said: “The investment into our facilities at Drax has significantly increased access to Lytag for architects and specifiers throughout the UK, whilst providing a high quality consistent material more quickly and efficiently than ever before – bringing time, cost and sustainability benefits for project teams, contractors and concrete product manufacturers.
“The development has bought with it a number of significant environmental and economic benefits in that it produces useful materials as opposed to sending the PFA to landfill. Lytag has been used across various high profile projects including The Shard, The Leadenhall Building and the Walkie Talkie – 20 Fenchurch Street. Lytag is also regularly supplied as a drainage material as well as being used in specialist fill and precast applications.”
