Leading the way in recycling in Norway

Benninghoven’s RPP 4000 pioneers climate-friendly asphalt production

For the construction of the new section of the E39 highway route between Mandal East and Kristiansand West, Velde Produksjon has invested in an innovative RPP 4000 asphalt mixing plant, making a conscious decision to focus on high rates of recycling while reducing emissions. This “green” technology has also qualified for project funding from the government’s Enova enterprise. Enova was set up to support companies who deploy innovative, climate-friendly systems and help to promote these technologies.

Mandal | Norway

The highway section between Mandal and Kristiansand is part of a gigantic new road-building project that aims to improve access to Norway’s west coast. Located next to Mandal fjord in Brennevinsmyra and equipped with its very own jetty is the new Benninghoven RPP 4000 plant. In operation since August 2021, this is Norway’s most innovative, advanced, and environmentally friendly asphalt facility. Fitted with a recycling drum working on the countercurrent principle and featuring a hot-gas generator, the plant achieves recycling input rates of up to 100 percent while keeping emissions within compliant ranges. This ticks all the boxes for operating company Velde Produksjon,: the features offered by this plant set the standard for the future of asphalt production in Norway and are especially economical.

“Velde is applying innovation, openness to change, and investment in advanced technology to keep our production as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible.”

Egil Velde, CEO Velde Industri AS

Velde and Benninghoven – a partnership built on trust

Velde and Benninghoven have maintained a close working relationship since 2005. Velde has expanded from a mid-sized enterprise to the second-largest mixing plant operator in Norway – a transformation that has been driven by its own quarry in Sandnes and its mineral processing business. Velde moved into asphalt production with the installation of a Benninghoven plant at the Sandnes quarry. Just a short while later, the company then decided to purchase a second plant. In February 2019, Velde took over an existing plant in Agder county – the ideal starting-point for the Mandal-Kristiansand highway project the company had been awarded. The plant was too small, however, and plans were made to replace it with a bigger plant on the same site. Looking to obtain the perfect solution, Velde lost no time in contacting its longtime partner Benninghoven.

“We’re investing in the best technology that we can find in the fields of recycling and environment. Quality control throughout the production process is a decisive factor here.”

Egil Velde, CEO Velde Industri AS

An easy decision: Benninghoven’s RPP 4000 is the recycling technology leader

Velde has set itself the goal of becoming an industry pioneer and using innovative technology to reduce the climate footprint of asphalt production. The RPP series immediately impressed our Norwegian clients: Benninghoven’s RPP 4000 models with hot-gas generator are the worldwide #1. No other plant offers recycling rates as high or emission levels as low as this plant while also ensuring first-class performance in terms of productivity and quality. The detailed technical specifications provided by Benninghoven also proved invaluable to Velde in its successful funding application to Enova. One additional benefit is the fact that the new Benninghoven recycling technology that Velde has introduced into Norway with the RPP 4000 now paves the way for higher rates of recycling in road-building in the future.

About Enova

Formed in 2001, Enova is a government-run agency that seeks to drive the transition to environmentally friendly consumption and sustainable production in the energy sector. Since 2018, Enova has been a state enterprise owned by the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

Field-tested efficiency: RPP 4000 a favorite with asphalt mixing plant operators

An RPP 4000 is also proving popular in southern Germany, thanks to its high rates of recycling. Find out more here about the deployment of the Benninghoven plant at Biberach-based Knäble GmbH:

Find out more

An RPP 4000 takes shape

Watch our time-lapse construction video

Key plant features:

Loading silo for high stocking levels
Hot recycling (counterflow recycling drum with hot-gas generator)
Cold recycling (multivariable feed system)
Housing for all RAP hoppers
Wood dust burner (ships mid-2022)
Reduced TC emissions compared with conventional systems
Dust extraction complies with new emissions legislation
Low operating costs
Production capacity: 320 t/h
Silo capacity: 625 t

A record-breaking project despite difficult conditions

Things moved fast after order acceptance in September 2020. The tight schedule required for the highway project meant Velde was under considerable time pressure and needed the facility built as soon as possible. With construction complete in just 12 months, the new plant was ready for commissioning in August 2021.

Yet conditions on site had been anything but favorable. The project not only had to deal with Covid-19 rules on quarantine and travel to Norway changing almost on a weekly basis but was also timetabled over winter – with all of the snow and extreme weather that implies. Space for temporary storage of components was also very tight, which caused further headaches for the on-site team.

Despite it all, Benninghoven succeeded in mobilizing the internal and external resources needed to meet the client’s target deadline in August. A major accomplishment – and further proof of the seasoned approach to teamwork that Benninghoven and the local Velde branch were able to maintain.

Component construction – creating quality in the factory