The only quarrying site in Guernsey is set to be expanded in a welcome boost to the industry.
The States of Guernsey have approved the proposals made by excavator Ronez for the extension of the Les Vardes site, which could add 18 years to the quarry's lifespan, reports BBC news.
Ronez has already received an order for one and a half million tons of sand and gravel at the existing site while the extension area will enable it to extract another million tons of material.
As extraction rates increase the firm could look to purchase more conveyor belts and bulk material handling equipment to deal with the increased demand.
Peter De Garis, Ronez's general manager, claimed the firm were looking for a new deal as the existing quarry was "coming to the end of its life".
He told the news provider: "Obviously with the infrastructure we have already set up with the processing, equipment and crushing in place it made sense to do an extension rather than look for a new site."
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the quarrying industry includes: Elevators – bucket elevators – valves
