Sustainable asphalt manufacturer SteelPhalt, owned by the British company Harsco Environmental, has opened its first permanent plant outside the UK in Murga (Álava). The transaction is in line with its commitment to expand its global presence and drive sustainable practices in the asphalt industry.

With this opening, SteelPhalt wants to generate a circular economy for by-products from the steel industry and provide high-quality asphalt without using natural aggregates. These are environmentally friendly solutions with which it aims to revolutionise the local asphalt market and contribute to the Basque Country's environmental objectives for 2030.

Valuable and permanently recyclable flow
Located in a highly industrialised area, the plant is designed to process over 195,000 tonnes of slag from the steel industry per year, in a process that is controlled from start to finish. This steel by-product is incorporated into this process as part of a valuable and permanently recyclable product stream, and will contribute to producing over 200,000 tonnes of sustainable asphalt products per year that are expected to be used on the region's roads.

Martin Gray, Director of Harsco Environmental's ecoproducts Europe division, said, “This state-of-the-art plant emphasises our commitment to delivering sustainable solutions, focusing on our regional customers’ evolving needs”. Moreover, he added that the new factory “symbolises much more than just a milestone; it is a profound testament to our dedication to growth, sustainability and global impact”.

High-performance asphalt
SteelPhalt's Operations Director, Mikel Barandalla, explained, “It is an honour for me to contribute to this pioneering project, which demonstrates innovation and addresses critical environmental challenges by offering an exceptional solution for the steel and asphalt industry”. On the other hand, he welcomed the opportunity “to expand our business by producing high-performance asphalt, effectively reducing the carbon footprint of road construction materials by up to 50%”.

SteelPhalt has been manufacturing high-performance asphalt products in the UK since the 1960s. The act of opening its new plant highlights the commitment of metalworking products supplier Harsco Environmental and its parent company, Enviri Corporation, to driving positive environmental change through innovative solutions.

^{Photo: Enviri}