Gavin Griffiths Group has marked the first anniversary of launching the UK's first mobile steam treatment service for invasive species and pathogen-impacted soils by being shortlisted for a Brownfield Award.
The South Wales-based Group has been named as a finalist in the Best Research or Application in the Advancement of Science, Technology or Digital Innovation in the Brownfield Sector category at the Brownfield Awards 2026.
The recognition follows Gavin Griffiths Group's introduction of the SoilSaver mobile treatment system to the UK. The technology uses controlled steam to destroy viable invasive plant material within excavated soil, providing a chemical-free alternative to landfill disposal and prolonged herbicide treatment. The incorporation of continuous temperature and throughput monitoring, provides a digital treatment record and supports a controlled, evidence-led approach to material verification and reuse.
Gavin Griffiths Group independently validated the process through a controlled UK field trial led by invasive plant specialist Dr Daniel Jones of Advanced Invasives. No regrowth was recorded from the steam-treated Japanese knotweed samples, while untreated control samples demonstrated strong viability.
The system was subsequently deployed with Morgan Sindall Infrastructure at Dwr Welsh Water's Trebanos wastewater treatment site. Approximately 1,780 cubic metres of invasive species-impacted soil were treated, enabling the material to be retained and reused within the project rather than disposed of as waste.
Over the past year, Gavin Griffiths Group's Innovation Division has continued to develop the SoilSaver platform through further research, process refinement and trials examining its potential across a wider range of biologically impacted soils and residual materials.
This next stage of development is exploring applications beyond invasive plants, including challenging pathogen-impacted materials. Further details of this work and another potential UK-first treatment service will be announced in due course.
Gavin Griffiths, Managing Director of Gavin Griffiths Group, said:
“Bringing SoilSaver to the UK was about challenging the assumption that invasive species-impacted soil must either be chemically treated over several years or excavated and sent to landfill.
“The Brownfield Awards shortlist recognises the scientific validation, technical development and practical delivery needed to turn that ambition into a credible treatment service.
“We have not stood still since the first deployment. Our Innovation Division has continued to test and develop the platform, and we believe its potential extends well beyond the treatment of invasive plants. We look forward to sharing the next stage of that work.”
The shortlisted entry recognises the important collaboration and contributions made by SoilSteam International, who invented the technology, Advanced Invasives during independent scientific validation, and Morgan Sindall Infrastructure during the first full-scale UK deployment.
The Brownfield Awards winners will be announced later this year.
