Hazardous Waste Processing

When Latvia launched its most ambitious environmental cleanup to date, A/S BAO turned to ALLU to handle the extreme materials and conditions at the infamous Inčukalns tar ponds. More than ten years later, the same ALLU equipment continues to power the company’s daily remediation work.

Challenge

The Inčukalns tar ponds site in Latvia is one of the Baltic region’s most notorious environmental legacies. Contaminated with a complex mix of petroleum products and sulphuric acid, the site posed a serious risk to the surrounding ecosystem. Tasked with the country’s most extensive and technologically demanding remediation project to date, hazardous waste management specialist A/S BAO needed robust, adaptable equipment capable of handling chemically aggressive materials under demanding site conditions.

Solution

To meet the project’s complex technical requirements, A/S BAO integrated ALLU’s screening and mixing buckets into its remediation operations—working in combination with Volvo carriers. Originally purchased specifically for the Inčukalns project, these ALLU units quickly became a cornerstone of the company’s soil processing capabilities.

The equipment included several ALLU Transformer buckets and a dedicated mixing unit designed for blending acidic tar with neutralizing agents such as lime. Mounted on excavators or wheel loaders depending on the task, the ALLU buckets allowed for on-site homogenization, material separation, and additive mixing. This significantly improved efficiency by reducing the need for material transport and enabling on-site treatment of contaminated soils.

The mixer-style attachment proved particularly valuable. Submerged into the sulphuric acid tar, it combined additives into the mass to produce a stable, fuel-grade output. Even in highly corrosive conditions, the ALLU tools delivered consistent performance—demonstrating durability, precision, and ease of maintenance.

Results

More than a decade after the project began, A/S BAO continues to rely on the same ALLU equipment across its day-to-day operations, including at its Olaine and Getliņi facilities. The units are now used for a range of material processing tasks—from crushing and separating contaminated soils to preparing waste for safe disposal or reuse. Their long service life and adaptability across different carriers have made them indispensable to the company’s remediation toolkit.

“We’ve had these ALLU buckets for over ten years, and they’ve more than proven their worth—especially under extreme conditions like sulphuric acid exposure,” says Māris Kalniņš, Chairman of the Board at A/S BAO. “We still use them daily. With regular maintenance and proper lubrication, they remain highly effective and dependable.”

As A/S BAO expands its operations—with five specialized facilities supporting everything from electronics recycling to construction waste processing, the company continues to value technology that enables safe, efficient, and compliant environmental management. According to Kalniņš, having the right tools on hand makes all the difference:

“Specialized equipment like ALLU isn’t something you can just rent when needed—you have to own it and understand it. That’s why we’ve stuck with ALLU: the equipment works, it lasts, and it helps us get the job done to the highest standards.”

Originally published in Pavasaris, which is a Latvian annual trade magazine focusing on construction, infrastructure, heavy machinery, and industrial innovation.

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