CDE Global says its sand washing plant, particularly its Evowash system, are enjoying considerable success in the Middle East, offering operators increased revenues through the delivery of higher quality sand and aggregate products to the construction sector.

“This rise in material quality has helped operators to reduce waste and increase the efficiency of sand and aggregate washing plant throughout the region,” says a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Company, which introduced these new washing technologies to the Middle East in 2005.
CDE Global products have now been installed throughout the region with processing systems now operational in Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iran. All the signs are that coverage will continue to grow in the coming months and years as operators see first hand the benefits of employing the sand and aggregate washing equipment offered by CDE, the spokesman adds.

“Following on from the success we enjoyed in Ireland and the UK, the Evowash system is delivering maximum-value sand and aggregate products throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India and plans are in place to ensure this expands into new markets in the near future,” says Iain Walker, one of CDE’s two export sales managers for the Middle East.
In all the markets where CDE operates, the Evowash system has been responsible for early wins. This is due to the efficiency gains that operators enjoy upon the introduction of the system, according to Walker.
“The Evowash system outperforms any other sand washing system available on the global market in relation to achieving final product specification and the minimisation of waste,” he claims.
“Many of the traditional sand washing technologies are extremely inefficient and operators are losing large volumes of quality sand product to their ponds or settling lagoons. This issue is dealt with by regular re-processing of the material in the ponds but this is a very expensive process. One of the first things we do with a new customer is go through the figures regarding current costs and demonstrate how the payback period for an Evowash system more than justifies its introduction. This may sound like a very confident boast but we know it works from the hundreds of previous installations we have completed,” Walker adds.
CDE Global has been in the Middle East since 2005 and its washing technologies have been employed in the processing of a wide range of materials – marine sand washing in Bahrain, the processing of crushed rock to produce manufactured sands in Oman, excavated desert sands in Qatar, and natural sands in Iran. In addition, there has also been significant interest in the production of silica sands.
“We are currently on site in Tunisia installing a major silica sand washing plant and this is an area where we have considerable previous experience throughout Europe,” says Walker.
The ability to apply various washing technologies offered by CDE to a wide range of feed materials has been key to the success that the company has enjoyed in recent years.
“Customisation is key,” explains Steve Williams, CDE’s second sales manager in the Middle East. “While other equipment providers offer a range of standard models with limited applications, we build each machine to deliver the material specification required by the customer. This approach ensures maximum commercial value and minimum waste for our customers.”
Another key factor in CDE’s success is its suite of waste water treatment and recycling products, which allow operators to recycle up to 95 per cent of the water used in the washing process.
“In a region where access to water is something of an issue when compared to CDE’s home territory in Ireland, the ability to recycle large volumes of water is crucial to ensuring that operators are able to employ these industry-leading washing systems,” says Williams. “The waste water treatment and recycling systems offered by CDE have so far been specified on projects in Qatar, Bahrain and Iran and the company remains positive that its market penetration will increase over the coming months.”
Another area where CDE sees opportunities for further expansion in the short to medium term is the recycling of construction and demolition waste material. This allows for the production of fully-certified sand and aggregate products from construction and demolition waste, which not only reduces the requirement to dispose of the material but also offers another source for sand and aggregate products where natural resources are scarce.
CDE has developed significant experience in this sector in the UK market over the past decade in a market where demand has been driven by a densely populated region and dwindling natural resources. While the UK market has led the way in the recycling of construction and demolition waste material, CDE reports a growing interest in these systems throughout the Middle East.
“Key to our success has been the commitment we have to understanding the specific requirements of the region in terms of what equipment is required to do the job that needs to be done,” says Walker. “In a lot of cases, people assume that the same product that works in Europe can be plugged in to the Middle East and will automatically be a success. Given the fact that we have committed to the region through our Middle East headquarters in Doha and our dedicated project management, sales, accounts and after-sales teams, we understand the requirements of operators better than most.”
The introduction of the Sirocco ‘dry wash’ system to the Middle East region by CDE demonstrates its understanding of the needs of the market. The Sirocco system is an alternative classification system for sand that allows operators to efficiently remove the unwanted fines from their sand product by using air instead of water as the ‘washing’ medium.
“The Sirocco unit has been very well received since its introduction as it offers those without access to the volumes of water required for a full washing plant an opportunity to produce a higher quality sand product than would otherwise be offered by simple dry screening,” explains Williams, who has already won major projects for the Sirocco system in Oman and Saudi Arabia.
With an expanding product range, an ever-increasing number of reference sites for their technologies and a clear commitment to the Middle East for the long term, both Walker and Williams are very positive about the future prospects for business in the region.
“Given the efficiency gains that we can offer and the determination to continually bring new products to market, we know that the opportunities are out there to be won,” says Walker.
CDE has just returned from a very successful first appearance at the recent bauma, the leading construction equipment exhibition held in Munich, Germany, where it launched the new M2500 mobile washing plant concept to the global market. “Given the company’s proven track record for introducing new products to the Middle East market, the first M2500 will not be far away,” he concludes.