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With high-quality silica sand resources scarce around the world, Fife Silica Sands has partnered with CDE to commission a 210-tonne-per-hour (tph) silica glass sand plant to meet the market’s growing demands.
Fife Silica Sands, located at Burrowine Moor Quarry in the central lowlands of Scotland, is owned and operated by Paterson Quarries.
Founded more than 50 years ago, Paterson Quarries operates five sites throughout Scotland. It supplies a range of materials, including concrete, specialist sand and recycled aggregates, across the UK. Paterson Quarries is now a third-generation family firm that acquired Fife Silica Sands in 2002.
Passionate about delivering high quality across its operations, Paterson Quarries has provided sand to prestigious golf resorts across the UK and Ireland, including Loch Lomond and Ardare Manor, as well as for professional football and rugby facilities.
CDE, a leading provider of wet processing solutions for the natural and waste recycling sectors, has been working with Paterson Quarries for more than 15 years, with the two companies first partnering on a modular sand-washing plant in 2011.
Having developed a strong working relationship, the team at Paterson Quarries knew CDE would be the right partner to work with Fife Silica Sands to meet market demands.
Showcasing its capabilities in providing solutions for silica sand, CDE welcomed Fife Silica Sands to its manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland, taking the team to reference sites across the UK so they could see the technology in action.
“From previous projects and years of experience working together, we knew that CDE would be the right choice. Our ultimate goal was to deliver top-quality silica sand to customers across the UK and Ireland,” Paterson Quarries managing director Tom Paterson said.
“CDE’s team meticulously tested material in their lab to understand our expectations and the materials we wanted to produce so that they could design the right plant for us.”
CDE director of customer solutions Chris McKeown believes such good relationships are important because, in the case of all the projects CDE has delivered for Paterson Quarries, “the customer’s input has been critical within this process, and we try to incorporate all the requests into the plant design”.
“This included visiting multiple reference sites, testing the material in our lab, and flying over for inward visits with our design team in-house,” McKeown said.
The glass industry is the largest end-user of silica sand production, accounting for more than a third of the global market. This is followed by sands for foundry, hydraulic fracturing, filtration and abrasives applications.
The construction market, rising automotive production and technological advancements such as smartphones, televisions, solar control glazing for automotive and building glasses, lightweight glazing glass, and advanced nanotechnology in flat glass are all increasing the demand for high-grade silica.
Consistency is critical with silica sands. To deliver dependable products that meet market specifications, CDE designed and engineered the 210tph sand-washing solution, which was commissioned in February 2024.
The solution comprises of the CDE P2-108 prograde screen that takes in the material, conditions it and prepares it for the downstream processes. The prograde screen generates three products: +7mm, 3–7mm and a 0–3mm.
CDE added five F1-64 Infinity fine screens for the high-efficiency separation of the -0.6mm material from the 0–3mm generated by the prograde screen. The F1-64 side tensioned media pack provides a high open area for optimum throughput, and the lower section of the screen provides superior dewatering of the 0.6–3mm material.
The plant is also equipped with ShearClean attrition cells, spiral separators, and two counterflow classification units (CFCU), three key steps in the production of silica sands.
The paddle design of the ShearClean attrition cells ensures consistent scrubbing of all material, liberating impurities for efficient contamination removal and delivery of high-quality in-spec sand products.
The spiral separators facilitate the removal of heavy contaminants from the sand stream, and the two CFCU units, used for two different grades of glass sand output, remove lightweight material and the 0–150-micron fine sand.
CDE incorporated multiple sets of high-intensity magnetic filters into the process to reduce ferrous contaminants from the feed stream. The magnets were supplied by a specialist provider and seamlessly integrated into the CDE solution, ensuring minimum downtime.
Three EvoWash sand-washing systems are used for desliming and dewatering the sand: one for high-grade glass sand, one for low-grade glass sand, and one for fines.
These three systems contain modular hydrocyclone technology to allow for control of silt cut points, ensuring that Fife Silica Sands can provide a consistent, in-spec product to meet the market’s needs.
The process water is recycled by the CDE AquaCycle, a highly efficient water management solution that helps to minimise costly water consumption and allows Fife Silica Sands to recover 90 per cent of the process water for immediate recirculation.
The separated water from the AquaCycle is passed over a static screen, capturing lightweight debris before it is recirculated via the AquaStore to the wash plant.
The AquaStore receives recycled water from the AquaCycle, which is then recirculated to reduce the freshwater required to feed the washing plant.
“From an environmental point of view, this plant is a real win for us, as there is less waste and we’re recovering more,” Paterson said. “We have a direct wire to a wind turbine, so we have all the needs for this plant from renewable energy when the wind blows.”
Fife Silica Sands’ wash plant operates 24 hours a day, from Monday to Friday, to keep up with the industry’s supply needs. To ensure this operation runs around the clock, CDE installed its SmartTech plant management app, which enables Fife Silica Sands to understand its plant performance, schedule maintenance, and easily order parts.
Sensors fitted to the plant provide up to 300 precise data points and continuously stream real-time, in-depth performance reports. This live feed provides a full and transparent overview of a plant’s health and is accessible 24–7 through a mobile app.
This technology allows Fife Silica Sands to remotely monitor input feed rates, hopper speeds, thickener levels, and water tank levels.
“With CDE SmartTech, we can track the performance, we can see the settings, and we can look back and view what changes have been made through the plant and how it has affected the quality or yield of the end product,” Paterson said.
“Whilst this is a complex plant, SmartTech allows us to easily analyse the overall performance of the solution.”
Fife Silica Sands quarry manager Kenny Mitchell has been very happy with the relationship with CDE.
“From install right through commissioning and into aftercare, CDE has always been very proactive and helpful with enquiries,” he said. “If we need any products, spare parts, or issues that we’ve had, we’ve been able to raise them with the CustomCare team, and they have been able to resolve them either remotely with the aid of SmartTech or by having engineers visit our site.”
With this sand-washing solution, Fife Silica Sands is able to produce seven products to supply the market. The two glass sand products are the plant’s main outputs, and a number of other fractions are produced, which are used for a range of applications, including sports sands and construction aggregates.
McKeown believes consistency is key to glass sand production.
“The output products from Fife Silica Sands will go into numerous applications in the glass industry,” he said. “Product quality is key, and we were determined to provide a solution that could deliver consistent, high-quality products. And that’s what we’re able to track and deliver with the plant.”
Paterson has been delighted to see the plant exceeding expectations.
“We’re supplying thousands of tonnes of specialist sand weekly to large glass manufacturers across the UK, who are producing the highest quality glass, as well as supplying construction markets and providing feedstock for asphalt production, render sands and ready-mixed concrete, high-quality USGA [United States Golf Association] sands for top dressing, golf course construction and bunker sand, along with horse riding arenas,” he said.
“This is a new and different approach for us and we’re getting a much higher yield from every tonne of product, far in excess of our expectations. We have one glass customer who has signed up to work with us for 20 years, which is a testament to the quality of the products we’re supplying.
“At Paterson Quarries, we pride ourselves in what we do and we live by our ethos in providing quality products at competitive prices, combined with delivering reliable service and friendly, knowledgeable staff, and CDE’s technology has allowed us to continue this with our latest investment.”
McKeown, who has been involved with the project “from the early sales stage, through the engineering process, the installation, and now into the fully operational phase”, is very happy to see the plant in its current state.
“Across our industry, tonnes per hour is a common metric used to describe the performance of a plant,” he said. “Ultimately, the return on investment of a plant like this is built on achieving that tonnage over an extended time. So, in CDE, the key metrics for us is tonnes per week, tonnes per month, tonnes per year, over many years.”
Awash with success
A Terex Washing Systems (TWS) FM120C and on-board pre-wash sand-washing system is ensuring the highest efficiency in filter media processing for Northumbrian Water at its Layer Water Treatment Works near Abberton Reservoir, just outside Colchester in Essex in southeast England.
In partnership with Duo Group, TWS installed its solution in January 2025. To ensure a sustainable and resilient water supply for more than 300,000 residents in Essex, the Layer Water Treatment Works is undergoing a significant upgrade. This includes the construction of a new 9000-square-metre sand-washing yard with an upgraded filter sand washing system.
The solution provided by TWS and Duo includes an H12 feeder, a 12×5 double-deck modular rinsing screen, an FM120C compact sand plant with an on-board pre-wash system, and a radial product conveyor utilised to stack the finished product.
Primary and back-up pumps are also provided for the clean water supply and wastewater removal.
Duo collaborated with the client’s civil contractor throughout the project to support site development work.
The new sand-washing system for Northumbrian Water removes contamination from the sand recovered from filtration beds in a single pass, allowing the sand to be reinstated and reused.
The site uses dump trucks to feed the sand into the H12 feeder, which transfers material onto a series of conveyors to the double-deck screen, providing initial rinsing and removing oversized materials and debris. The sand slurry is then captured in the pre-wash tank.
At this point, the upward current helps remove any organics before the sand slurry is pumped to the first pre-wash cyclone and discharged into the FM120C tank.
The sand slurry is then pumped through a final cyclone, discharging onto a high-frequency dewatering screen, ensuring minimal residual moisture in the final product.
The double attrition provides efficient cleaning of the sand and an in-spec product with minimal handling.
The TWS solution is solving some key issues for Northumbrian Water. The company’s existing sand-washing system at the Layer Treatment Works had served its time. An outdated process design needed regular repair and often required the site to process the sand through the system twice to achieve effective cleaning.
TWS and Duo have supplied an efficient system that will provide effective sand cleaning in a single pass, while remaining compact, reliable and easy to operate. This has resulted in a significant reduction in cycle time to wash each batch of filter sand, provided operational efficiency, and reduced vehicle movements on-site, all of which has contributed to improving sustainability and reducing maintenance costs.
The Layer Water Treatment Works upgrade sets a new benchmark in sustainable water filtration. By integrating advanced TWS technology and innovative engineering solutions from Duo Group, the project enhances water quality, supports climate resilience, and improves long-term operational efficiency.
Conserving resources
Following a major restructuring, CFlo has entered a transformative phase, positioning itself as a leading force in modular wet processing technology.
As part of its global growth strategy, the company attended the recent bauma 2025 exhibition in Munich.
Previously focusing only on the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, CFlo has an installation base of approximately 500 projects across 20 countries, which have been delivered over the past 19 years. The business employs approximately 250 people, all of whom are focused on its purpose of ‘Conserving resources and creating waste-free cities’.
CFlo co-founder and director of global sales Enda Ivanoff told Aggregates Business that recent restructuring allows CFlo to take its technology worldwide.
“Our globally experienced team will build and align the business growth with market demand, and we are building strong relationships and partnerships in various regions,” he said.
“We believe strongly in being close to the customer and will invest in our strategic regions as required with office, service centres and personnel.
“Our initial focus will be the Middle East Africa [MEA], Australia, New Zealand [Oceania], and Southeast Asia. We are currently finalising a strategic partnership for the mining sector in Australia with a huge global business.”
CFlo is bringing innovative solutions to four main industry segments: construction sand and aggregate washing; waste recycling; ore beneficiation; and critical mineral recovery.
“CFlo is committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions that redefine the processing of aggregates and quarrying materials,” Ivanoff said.
“Retaining its extensive portfolio of patented technologies and a globally experienced team, CFlo is now better equipped to expand its footprint and enhance value for quarry operators worldwide while attaining its vision to replace natural sand in 100 countries.
“The revolutionary Combo platform has become the industry benchmark in modular processing.”
CFlo offers a suite of advanced processing technologies tailored for quarry operators seeking to optimise resource recovery, reduce waste and improve environmental impact.
“Our high-efficiency washing systems and water management technologies are designed to address key industry challenges, including excessive fines, inconsistent material quality and water scarcity,” Ivanoff said.
Ivanoff said CFlo’s technology for the aggregates sector feature a number of key benefits:
Maximising yield – advanced washing and classification systems recover valuable fractions that would otherwise be lost, increasing overall product yield
Sustainability and compliance – CFlo plants are engineered to minimise freshwater usage and reduce environmental impact, aligning with regulatory standards and sustainability goals
Operational efficiency – modular and scalable solutions ensure reduced downtime, lower operating costs, and faster return on investment
The company is setting up CFlo Middle East as a group company to service the MEA region. Ivanoff believes the office has the potential to serve as a global hub for service and a large project management centre of excellence.
“MEA is a rapidly expanding market for infrastructure and construction, driving strong demand for high-quality aggregates,” he said.
“However, water scarcity, inconsistent raw material quality, and strict environmental regulations necessitate more efficient processing technologies – precisely what CFlo delivers.”
CFlo’s growth strategy in MEA revolves around specific factors:
Strategic partnerships – collaborating with key players in quarrying and construction to drive technological adoption
Localised solutions – customising technology to meet each region’s unique geological and regulatory needs
Sustainability leadership – promoting water recycling and sustainable aggregate processing to align with regional environmental policies
CFlo’s solutions are already making a difference in the MEA region. One standout project is Power International’s limestone quarry in Fujairah, United Araba Emirates (UAE).
The Combo Mega E5 installation has optimised this process by transforming the -10mm feedstock into high-quality construction sand and recovering valuable 5–10mm particles as low-silica limestone.
This is an efficient solution that enhances resource recovery and provides a new revenue stream through construction sand sales catering to the high-demand markets in Abu Dhabi and in other regions.
Beyond the UAE, CFlo has delivered high-performance wet processing solutions in 20 countries.
“With its recent restructuring, CFlo is poised to expand to newer markets, revolutionising the aggregates and quarrying industry with smarter, more sustainable processing solutions,” Ivanoff said.
“As demand for high-quality materials rises, CFlo remains committed to driving innovation and efficiency in the sector.
“For quarry operators looking to future-proof their operations, CFlo is the partner of choice. It delivers world-class solutions that redefine aggregates processing for a more sustainable future.”
Ivanoff believes CFlo’s patented Combo platform is the world’s most water and power-efficient system for processing various materials.
“Originally pioneered for producing manufactured sand from crushed rock fines, it has been developed further for use across all four industrial sectors,” he said.
“It is innovative in its use of water recirculation and a combination of processing technologies, based all on one singular platform, which provides huge flexibility for the end user in terms of adaption to site-specific materials and mobility.” AB
