Swedish IQR doing pioneering business with Italy worth EUR 7.6 million a year!
Swedish recycling company IQR has just won a major contract with RFI*, the Italian state railway, in the face of some tough competition. The contract is worth EUR 7.6 million a year.
Essentially, this deal means that IQR in Trollhättan will be dealing with the worn-out wooden sleepers from the Italian rail network, converting them into a raw material for the production of energy in the form of biofuel. This fuel will then be used in both Sweden and Europe.
“In Sweden we have a long tradition and years of experience of heating with biofuels, and interest in converting products into raw materials for the production of energy is growing in Europe. This interest is based on increasing environmental awareness, more stringent legislation and the finite supply of fossil fuels. Old sleepers impregnated with creosote are being recycled instead of leaving them to be used in gardens or stockpiling them somewhere out in the country. We have to remember that rail companies are responsible for ensuring that sleepers are dealt with in an environmentally correct manner. This is why they choose IQR. Our system is unique, because we have total control over the sleepers from the time we pick them up until they are converted first into energy and then finally into ash,” says Stefan Hägelmark, MD of IQR.
The contract with RFI was preceded by some very precise checks of the technology in all the tenders and how environmentally friendly they were. The fact that IQR won the contract demonstrates clearly that the company is working in the most environmentally correct manner in Europe. And that they are doing so cost-effectively.
Europe waking up
“This major deal with Italy will be followed by more contracts. As old rails are being replaced throughout Europe, the question arises as to what rail companies are to do with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of scrapped wooden sleepers. Many European countries have opened their eyes to the fact that we offer unique skills when it comes to dealing with materials and converting them into raw materials for the production of energy in a safe, controlled way.
“IQR is already working with both national and private rail companies in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands. Autumn also saw the start of a project with French rail relating to the recycling of ballast. However, the contract with Italy is the biggest single deal done to date by the company,” continues Stefan.
From SEK 60 million to SEK 250 million in four years
“We are one of few players able to deal with materials safely and in a controlled and cost-effective way. And as environmental issues are and will remain international concerns, it is truly pleasing to see that more and more countries in Europe are paying attention to the problems and looking at the opportunities offered by recycling. This can be seen by the fact that in four years we have increased our turnover from around EUR 6.5 million to around an estimated EUR 27.1 million for the coming financial year, which starts in May,” concludes Stefan Hägelmark.
* Rete Ferroviaria Italiana
Facts on the company:
IQR develops solutions for recycling of materials. The company’s concept involves dealing with the entire process – from retrieving and fragmenting materials to reusing them. Wood chips are incinerated at the company’s own heating plant in Svenljunga and other plants, while recycled ballast and concrete are used as filler when building roads, for example. The company’s operations also include the sale and hire of machinery and systems for fragmentation.
-
Most popular related searches
Customer comments
No comments were found for Swedish IQR doing pioneering business with Italy worth EUR 7.6 million a year!. Be the first to comment!