Award Winning Truxor Work – Reduced Waste and Carbon Footprint

Truxor, a leader in amphibious dredging technology, played a pivotal role in the Portland Road Environmental Improvements Project in Auckland, New Zealand. Glasgow Contractors devised an innovative method, using the Truxor, for stream dredging that drastically reduced waste and carbon footprint.

Traditional methods involving heavy machinery and diesel-powered trucks projected a carbon footprint of over 65,000 kg CO2e/annum for a 600m stream dredging project. Glasgow Contractors introduced an ingenious approach using Truxor's amphibious dredge, significantly cutting emissions to a mere 1,200 kg CO2e/annum—a remarkable 98% reduction. This groundbreaking method, now employed nationwide, offers substantial environmental benefits for both public and private projects.

This innovation ensured complete containment of dredged silt, minimizing spillage risks. Remarkably, the dewatered silt found new life on-site, forming landscape areas and saving the Council $1 million in tipping fees, alongside averting an additional 100,000 kg CO2e associated with material transportation.

The project has also resulted in prizes during Auckland CCNZ Hynds Construction Awards 2023 – in the Excellence in Sustainability Innovation category as well as in the Project Award Category B.

Glasgow Contractors' Truxor journey began in 2015, evolving after acquiring the Truxor 5045, followed by successful partnerships and trials. Their innovation also tackled silt measurement challenges with technological advancements, developing a solids reader for accurate volume assessments.

Moreover, collaborating with Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and Auckland Council, Glasgow Contractors explored reuse opportunities for the nutrient-rich soil created during the dredging process.

The Truxor amphibius machine is use in several parts of Glasgow Contractors’ business.

“We’ve utilised Truxor to desludge wastewater ponds, desilt ponds, wetlands, streams, as well as mangrove removal in estuarine environments. It’s been used for channel creation and maintenance as well as aquatic weed removal. About 90 percent of our Truxor work involves the Doro Pump and is paired to our dewatering equipment. The remainder is using the Doro Digger and Weed Rakes”, says Kade Glasgow, Director, Health and Safety Officer and Quality Assurance Manager.

And Kade Glasgow looks to the future of water management in New Zealand with the Truxor amphibius machine.

“With local governments looking for low impact, innovative methods to keep our waterways maintained and operating as designed, Truxor provides a cost effective way to dredge solids from waterways and provides an opportunity to move closer to a net zero emission economy”, he says.