Three questions to Jan Zwaenepoel - Project leader DEC soil remediation.
How is the remediation going?
The decontamination and demolition came together unexpectedly and therefore started together. At first, it took some time to find the right way to work together and not to get in each other's way. This mission was certainly successful because of the good coordination with the various parties.
On the first day of demolition, we discovered that the pipes had not been completely cleaned. As a result, the demolition work had to be modified. For this we entered into a partnership with Mourik, a specialised cleaning company. Fortunately, all parties took a constructive approach.
How are you going to handle the polluted soil and waste?
During the demolition work, we ensure that the clean concrete waste can be recovered for the MCA site. There are several layers of soil where we make a distinction according to the degree of pollution. We can ensure that the soil can be transported to a suitable processing centre.
The polluted soil is going to be more than what we initially anticipated. In total, we are talking about approximately 60 000 tonnes of contaminated soil. Half of this has already been removed. Part of the soil has been transported by a remote-controlled ship to our soil recycling centre in Kallo, a first in Belgium. By transport over water, we take more than 300 trucks off the road.
How do you see MCA?
The MCA site will be an architectural pearl of great value for the City of Antwerp. There will be a big difference between what it was (a former lubricant factory) and what it is going to be.
It will respond to various social factors such as education, alternative fuels, and it will be an added value for the entire maritime sector.
Credit photos: DEME Group
The progress of the remediation.
