Pioneering Belgian company in soil recycling marks its 20th anniversary
Today, GRC (Grond Recyclage Centrum, Soil Recycling Centre) celebrates its 20 years of existence. As a pioneer in soil recycling, GRC is still at the top of soil remediation. Thanks to continuing investments and innovations in the last 20 years, it processes a wide range of contaminated materials today, DEME said Friday in a press release.
GEC was founded even before the Flanders soil remediation decree came into force, based on the conviction that recycling is better than sending to landfill. The enterprise grew out of a partnership between the Belgian dredging and environmental company DEME, and the originally Dutch industrial service provider Mourik, which is mostly active in petrochemicals. In the early years, Vlaams Milieuhouding participated too.
Through the application of various techniques, GRC can tackle almost all possible soil contamination: from soil polluted with mineral oil (diesel and petrol), PAHs, heavy metals, cyanides and asbestos to PCBs.
Jan Zwaenepoel, GRC Managing Director: ‘As well as contaminated soil, we are now able to process an even wider range of contaminated materials such as road sweeping residue, blasting grit, sewerage gully sludge, used screening sand or soil contaminated with asbestos. Clients can come to us for total solutions of the highest quality.’
Thanks to improved techniques, the proportion of residue that is finally sent to landfill constantly becomes less. In the last 20 years, GRC’s continual investments have included a quay wall for transport by ship, a more efficient water purification plant and higher-performance extraction systems for volatile substances released during the cleaning process.
With branches in Kallo, Bruges and Zolder, GRC is distributed regionally so it can work closer to the customer, which also saves on transport costs.
Alain Bernard, DEME CEO: ‘GRC is continuing on its established way with continuous innovation, the search for new markets, continual investment and the development of new techniques. This is how we intend to strengthen our position on the international market. Soil that is brought here from abroad creates employment in Flanders. These foreign orders are only possible if we are successful in the home market.’
About DEME
The Belgian dredging, marine engineering and environmental group DEME is a global solutions provider specialising in dredging works and land reclamation, offshore marine engineering projects, service provision to oil and gas companies, the installation of offshore wind farms, environmental activities such as soil remediation and sludge recycling, redevelopment of brownfield sites and wreck salvage. DEME owns and operates the most modern and versatile fleets for dredging and marine engineering works. DEME employs 4,600 people.
About Mourik
Mourik is a modern company which is active on all the continents for a great diversity of clients. It is a dynamic company setting its sights resolutely on the future. The services we offer have over the years grown into a total service package especially geared for industry and government. Mourik sets great store on collaboration. Our people work together with our clients on solutions for all possible situations, with flexibility, expertise and technically high-quality plant and equipment often developed by ourselves. Mourik is an organization which is continuously on the move but above all remains itself: a family business with a history going back to the 20s of the last century. Mourik is an innovative partner for whom commitment, quality and integrity are of paramount importance. Mourik employs over 2,000 people and has a consolidated turnover of 430 million euros.