Decades of expertise in sustainable remediation
Soil remediation is a core speciality of DEME and we have a leading position in this sector. More than 20 years ago we founded the most advanced soil treatment centre in Europe and now we have a network of facilities in strategic locations in Belgium and France.
We offer both tailor-made, in-situ, treatment solutions or customers can use one of our strategically located,treatment centres. In line with our sustainable goals we always aim to turn the reclaimed soil into reusable materials for construction and other purposes.
Proactive brownfield development
Our vision for a sustainable future is also reflected when it comes to brownfield site development. Brownfield sites are disused industrial areas where economic activities are severely impeded or rendered impossible due to historic contamination of the soil and groundwater. Here we take on a very proactive role in sourcing and developing potential remediation projects, alongside our development partners. DEME identifies polluted industrial sites and approaches the owners regarding the possibility of redeveloping them into new business parks, residential and recreational areas. We can provide an integrated range of solutions including polluted soil and river decontamination and treatments for soils and dredged sediments. Given the complex nature of the redevelopment of heavily polluted industrial sites, projects are often based on a design, build and finance approach.
In-situ soil remediation & Mobile treatment plants
As well as our extensive network of fixed soil and sediment recycling centres, we also offer customers the flexibility of mobile treatment plants. We have designed, developed and built a number of mobile soil washing and recycling systems that can be employed worldwide for on-site treatment and recycling of contaminated soil. This includes our mobile thermal desorption plant which is designed to handle the most heavily contaminated soils.
Our portable plants can be deployed across the globe for on-site treatment and the recycling of contaminated soil, avoiding unnecessary soil transportation and disposal costs for the customer. This is a very effective technique to remediate soil, removing a large number of organic and inorganic contaminants.
Our broad portfolio of specialist techniques enables us to offer customers a tailored solution, which could involve several techniques used in combination.
Techniques include:
- Extracting soil vapour, groundwater, floating layers or sediment layers
- Soil vapour extraction and compressed air injection into soil
- Chemical oxidation
- Bioremediation: aerobic/anaerobic
- Reactive permeable barriers
Recycling centers for off-site soil treatment
DEME operates a network of 14 strategically located recycling centers across Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. The largest facility can process up to 400,000 tons annually.
The recycling centers are equipped to treat dredged sediment, soil and inorganic mineral waste streams. For the collection, treatment and recycling of these streams we provide innovative, tailor-made solutions. Our various treatment and dewatering technologies include unloading, screening, filter press dewatering, heavy metal stabilization, chemical immobilization, bioremediation, thermal treatment, physio-chemical soil treatment, sediment quality control, debris management, and material recycling and reclamation.
We have 14 recycling centers, of which four are in Wallonia, one in France, one in The Netherlands and 6 in Flanders.
- In Wallonia, we have 4 recycling centers: RC Charleroi Petit Try, RC Liège, RC Tubize and Sedisol. Each recycling centre is specialized in accepting and treating particular types of materials.
- In France, we have RC Wambrechies. This is a combined recycling centre, which is designed to treat contaminated soil, dredged sediment, and inorganic mineral waste streams. The centre is located along the river Deule.
- In the Netherlands, we have: RC Den Helder. This is located in the north of the Netherlands and focuses on PFAS contaminated soil and debris, dredging and offschore waste sediments.
- In Flanders, we have six recycling centers: GRC Kallo, GRC Zolder, RC Antwerpen, RC Deinze, RC Desteldonk, RC Gent, RC Puurs, RC Zeebrugge. Each recycling centre is specialized in accepting and treating particular types of materials.
All of the treatment centers are located near waterways and, in an effort to offer sustainable solutions, we encourage companies to carry out the transport of the polluted and treated soils, sediments or waste steams by water.
The recycling centers are dedicated to implementing effective and long-lasting strategies for managing polluted soil, sediments and diverse inorganic mineral materials. They use a wide range of tested and proven techniques as mentioned above. For more information on DEME Environmental and the treatment centers please use this link .
