In 2014, the Flemish Government conceived the idea of no longer recycling tar-containing asphalt in our roads. Instead of this recycling, the tar-containing asphalt that is released should be cleaned. This thermal cleaning requires very high temperatures, which means it can only be done using specialized installations.
To map out the entire process, from breaking up tar-containing asphalt and transporting it to a certified interim storage facility, to transporting it to a cleaning installation and the final cleaning, a new inspection system was established by the inspection body Copro. This system ensures that all steps of the entire process proceed correctly, to the extent that each step can be perfectly checked, registered, and communicated. To be recognized as an interim storage facility, it was initially necessary to draft a complete quality manual. This describes how we perform and register the necessary checks, how we store and possibly process the delivered material, and how all administrative matters are handled.
After an initial inspection visit, the trial period was started and Top-Mix Oostende, part of Verhelst Group, became the first certified interim storage site for thermal cleaning of tar-containing asphalt. Since the thermal cleaning installations accepted by the Flemish Government are located in the Netherlands, the disposal must take into account the European regulations for waste transport, the so-called EVOA (European Waste Shipment Regulation). In the meantime, in collaboration with OVAM, the necessary steps were taken and our EVOA file was accepted. On Thursday, June 22, 2017, the first ship was transported to the Netherlands under certification.
