A Beccles company which specialises in ultra-high pressure water is eyeing growth after receiving a grant for new equipment.

Eastern Daily Press: The rubber tracks from diggers and excavators are stripped apart with ultra-high pressure jets and separated into rubber, track cores and wires. Picture: NEW ANGLIA GROWTH HUB.The rubber tracks from diggers and excavators are stripped apart with ultra-high pressure jets and separated into rubber, track cores and wires. Picture: NEW ANGLIA GROWTH HUB. (Image: Archant)

Aquablast will put the £1,600 from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership's Micro Grant Scheme towards the cost of a seven-ton forklift truck, which is double the size of its previous vehicle.

The 30-year-old company, based in Benacre Road, has pioneered environmentally-friendly recycling processes using ultra-high pressure water jets, including the recycling of scrap rubber crawler tracks from diggers and excavators. Aquablast's Recyclatrack operation uses water to separate the metal and rubber, meaning they can be reused – the steel is sold as scrap, and the rubber crumb recycled into other products such as playground surfaces, while the water is filtered, cleaned and reused.

The new forklift will be used to manoeuvre the rubber tracks around the plant more easily, speeding up the process.

Company director Andrew Watt said: 'These rubber tracks are extremely heavy and come in all shapes and sizes which can be very difficult to handle.

Eastern Daily Press: The Recyclatrack process turns the tracks into rubber powder which can be used for products such as playground surfaces. Picture: NEW ANGLIA GROWTH HUB.The Recyclatrack process turns the tracks into rubber powder which can be used for products such as playground surfaces. Picture: NEW ANGLIA GROWTH HUB. (Image: Archant)

'The micro grant has accelerated the purchase of a more powerful fork-lift and this makes the recycling process slicker, saving us time and will help us to increase turnover.'

The micro grant scheme awards grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 to help firms grow, and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

To apply for grants from the New Anglia Growth Hub, call 0300 333 6536 or email growthhub@newanglia.co.uk