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Downer invests in state-of-the-art asphalt manufacturing facility

Downer invests in asphalt manufacturing facility

Downer is investing $10 million in the construction of a state-of-the-art asphalt manufacturing facility in northern Tasmania.

The new facility will replace an existing asphalt plant that’s reaching the end of its service life.

“Our two asphalt manufacturing facilities in Tasmania currently produce thousands of tonnes each year that is used to build and maintain roads right across the state,” said Downer’s General Manager Tasmania, Marcus Stephens.

“Once the new plant is commissioned we will triple our hourly production rate, enabling Downer to service customers more efficiently.”

Mr Stephens said in addition to boosting the state’s local manufacturing capacity, the new plant will deliver sustainability benefits to the community.

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“The new plant incorporates cutting edge technology that supports production of road surfacing material with a high proportion of recyclable material,” said Stephens.

ReconophaltTM is a nation-leading road surfacing product developed by Downer incorporating material that would otherwise end up in landfill. That includes soft plastics, ground glass from domestic recycling, road millings and recycled asphalt paving and waste toner.

“In producing ReconophaltTM we are helping communities turn their waste products into value-added material and avoiding use of virgin materials.

“Testing has found ReconophaltTM to have superior performance to standard asphalt, providing an additional 3 years or 15% to the life of road surfaces than traditional surfacing material.”

ReconophaltTM was first used in Tasmania in 2018 in the Kingborough municipality. Since that time, Downer has laid 10,397t of ReconophaltTM in the state resulting in diversion from landfill of:

  • 6,476,000 plastic bag equivalents
  • Toner from 189,000 toner cartridges
  • 2,629,000 glass bottles
  • 960 tonnes of recycled asphalt paving material

The new plant is expected to be commissioned in early 2023.

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