By Lynda Myer
Following completion of 25.8km of the tunnel at the Woodsmith project near Whitby, in north-east England, Strabag UK has set a new world record for the longest single TBM drive.
In order to constructing the world’s longest conveyor tunnel for a permanent mineral transport system (MTS) which is going to transport tens of millions of tons of polyhalite from beneath the North York Moors National Park, Strabag UK is working on behalf of Anglo American.
Additionally, in the next stage the Polyhalite, a natural mineral, is due to be crushed and granulated to create POLY4, which is a multi-nutrient fertilizer which is suitable for organic use.
The date of commissioning hard rock Herrenknecht TBM was June 2019, whereas it has to build the 37km tunnel with an internal diameter of 4.9m. The TBM was named Stella-Rose by a local primary school pupil.
Considering that a water conveyance tunnel project in the Middle East which was also built using a Herrenknecht TBM, was set the previous TBM drive record, the completed Woodsmith tunnel will set a new world record, which Strabag is expecting to be confirmed by Guinness World Records.
“We are extremely proud of the team at the Woodsmith project for reaching this incredible milestone and safely passing the current world record set for a single bored tunnel drive,” stated Strabag UK managing director Simon Wild.
According to Woodsmith project director Andrew Johnson:”It is a demonstration of the fruits of teamwork with our partners. We are now focused on looking forward and setting a new world record every day. The Woodsmith tunnel is a fundamental part of our commitment to create a sustainable mine with minimal environmental impact.”
