Solar powered shredder transforms waste-to-energy facility

The announcement comes following a significant  re-investment into a 12,000ft² new building, 40% extension to the yard, new wash plant, solar system, and an UNTHA XR3000C mobil-e shredder which lies at the heart of the facility.

Capable of processing a range of difficult waste materials for alternative fuels, the electric-driven XR3000C runs entirely from solar energy generated by PSH Environmental, on site.

A 90mm screen processes grade C wood down to a homogenous biomass product for a local energy plant, while a 130mm screen can be interchanged in as little as 15 minutes, to enable PSH Environmental to reduce the density of other skip, bulky and C&I wastes, for RDF.

The flexible shredder can also handle other bespoke products — even those notoriously considered economically unshreddable or too difficult to handle.

The plant is now capable of throughputs of 40 tonnes of material per hour, which equates to 80,000 tonnes per annum.

Commenting on the project, PSH Environmental’s director Daniel Parker said: “There will always be waste, and it’s up to us to process it in the most efficient and sustainable way — that is what we are aiming to achieve here at PSH Environmental. Running a 38 tonne shredder entirely off solar power may seem far fetched, but we’ve proven it’s possible.”

Talks with UNTHA began at a shredding showcase in Lancashire, back in 2021.

“We’ve been collaborating with UNTHA UK for almost two years on this project — once you see the machine in action, you know exactly why you need it,” continued Daniel.

“From experience, once you press the start button on a shredder, they’re on a route to self-destruct — I mean look at what you’re trying to tackle with them. But with the UNTHA XR3000C, you can see it is built to last. This is high quality engineering at its finest, and the level of craft that has gone into manufacturing such a robust and refined machine, is outstanding.”

The environmental credentials of PSH Environmental’s progressive project are further strengthened via the firm’s ‘Clean Up to Green Up’ campaign in association with Norfolk Wildlife Trust. This sees £1 from every skip hire donated to help restore a square metre of arable farmland into ancient woodland. With customers able to visit the site to see where a share of their money has gone, this supports the sustainability conscience of the supply chain, while ensuring continued reinvestment in the county, and the countryside.

Daniel concluded: “We are PSH Environmental and we take our name seriously — we can’t simply talk about caring for the environment, we have to make sure we do. The waste industry is constantly evolving and you cannot stand still. Hopefully this project shows just how progressive waste processing can be.”