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Middleton waste management manufacturer seals second major Gulf contract

Whitham Mills, the Middleton-headquartered waste management machinery manufacturer, has snagged a second contract in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The engineering firm has secured the contract to provide a GB-1111FS baler and accompanying feed conveyor equipment to the tiny emirate of Ajman, located on the western coast of the UAE.

Whitham Mills have been appointed by Ajman Investment and Marketing Services (AIMS) Group to export and install the machinery at Ajman’s Material Recovery Facility which, once operational, will be able to process 800 tonnes of waste per day.

The contract win comes as Ajman pushes towards zero waste to landfill having achieved a 70% recycle rate in the last decade, and is hoping to beat its emirati rivals to the target of sending zero waste to landfill by 2030.

Dr Shaheed Khader, General Manager of AIMS Group, said: “Ajman is one of the fastest growing emirates in the UAE and is focussing to be the cleanest emirate as per vision of His Highness The Ruler of Ajman.

“With the addition of new recycling initiatives and policies, the emirate is targeting between a 75- 85 per cent recovery, and therefore reduction, of the waste going to landfill.

“In lieu of this, and to increase the life of existing landfill space, AIMS Group has procured waste baling machinery to process the residual waste which remains following recovery of recyclables.”

The Greater Manchester business has already completed the job to install the machinery in punishing 48 degree heat, and follows a similar arrangement with neighbouring Ras al-Khaimah.

Outlining the challenges for machinery operating in the harsh climate of the UAE, Whitham Mills’ managing director, Ben Smart said: “Equipment in the Middle East needs to be capable of operating in a challenging climate, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius.

“Customers want to know they are buying quality; not only in the machinery itself, but in the end-to-end service of install, maintenance and consumable supply that we’re rapidly establishing a reputation for at Whitham Mills.”