Explosive Clearance Group

What Explosive Clearance Group does

Explosive Clearance Group B.V. (operating as ADC Explosive Clearance and ECG) is a Netherlands-based professional services firm founded in 2005 that detects, assesses, and removes unexploded ordnance (UXO) from World War II for construction, infrastructure, and government clients. The company delivers a sequential five-stage service offering: Vooronderzoek (historical preliminary research using WWII archives and aerial photography, certified under CS-VROO), Risicoanalyse (project-bound risk analysis), Detectie (metal detection of soil and waterbeds using advanced measurement equipment), Benaderen en Veiligstellen (approach, identification, and secure handover of explosives to the EOD), and Vliegtuigberging (aircraft wreckage recovery, branded as ECG Air Branch). Its technical differentiation centers on CS-OOO-certified personnel whose interpretive judgment in distinguishing genuine explosives from inert metallic debris is described as the core determinant of project cost and accuracy.

The firm sells services directly via project-based engagements to Dutch construction companies (Dura Vermeer, Ploegam, Mooder Maas, De Vries Van de Wiel), engineering consultancies (Sweco, Arcadis, Royal HaskoningDHV), and public-sector clients (ProRail, Rijksoverheid, Gemeente Echt-Susteren, Wetterskip Fryslan, Waterschap Limburg). Revenue is generated through quote-based professional services contracts with no public pricing; for qualifying aircraft recovery projects, 70% of costs are reimbursed through the Ministry of the Interior's (BZK) 'Nationaal programma berging vliegtuigwrakken'. ECG operates from Wijchen with 11-50 employees, holds no disclosed external funding, and confines its geographic footprint to the Netherlands.

The company's strategic positioning is anchored in regulatory certifications (CS-VROO, CS-OOO, CO2 Performance Ladder), a multi-disciplinary team of academic historians, GIS experts, civil engineers, and ordnance specialists, and embedded coordination with mandated Dutch government bodies (EOD, BIDKL, SOVB). ECG functions as a default UXO specialist within the Dutch construction and infrastructure ecosystem, with ECG Air Branch extending this capability into the long-tail recovery of WWII aircraft wrecks — an estimated ~2,000 of which remain in Dutch territory, including approximately 400 sites containing human remains.

Name

Explosive Clearance Group

Legal name

Explosive Clearance Group B.V.

Website

https://ecg-group.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Explosive Clearance Group is a Dutch professional services firm that detects, assesses, and removes WWII unexploded ordnance for construction, engineering, and government clients, and operates ECG Air Branch for WWII aircraft wreckage recovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unexploded Ordnance Clearance Services

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)

SIC

Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480)

akta.pro primary industry

Demilitarization, Disposal & Ordnance Remediation (EOD Support) (IMABAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wreck Removal & Site Clearance (TLAHAIAB), Mine Action & Explosive Ordnance Risk Reduction (EOD/ERW) (BPADAFAH), Salvage Engineering, Surveying & Claims Support (Naval Architecture, Tow Plans) (TLAHAIAJ)

Keywords

• Unexploded ordnance detection
• Explosive clearance services
• WWII aircraft recovery
• UXO risk analysis
• Historical preliminary research

Headquarters

HQ city

Wijchen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Explosive Clearance Services: Professional services revenue from conducting explosive detection, investigation, and safe recovery operations. Services include pre-research (historical research), risk analysis, detection surveys, approach and securing of explosives, and aircraft wreckage recovery. Revenue is project-based, varying by scope and complexity of each engagement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Explosive Clearance Group B.V., trading as ADC Explosive Clearance, detects, assesses, and clears unexploded ordnance (UXO) from WWII in Dutch soil and water bodies, and recovers WWII aircraft wreckage with environmental remediation. The firm delivers an end-to-end service chain spanning historical preliminary research, risk analysis, on-site metal detection, excavation and securing of explosives for EOD handover, and specialized aircraft recovery via its ECG Air Branch sub-brand.

Product overview

Explosive Clearance Group operates under the ADC Explosive Clearance brand, providing a sequential five-stage service offering for unexploded ordnance (UXO) detection and clearance from WWII: Vooronderzoek (historical preliminary research), Risicoanalyse (risk analysis), Detectie (metal detection), Benaderen en Veiligstellen (excavation and securing), and Vliegtuigberging (aircraft recovery, branded ECG Air Branch). This is a specialized consultancy and field service operation—not a software platform—with each stage building upon the previous to progress from site assessment through to official clearance certification. The ECG Air Branch specializes in WWII aircraft wreckage recovery, addressing both environmental hazards (fuel, oil, asbestos) and the recovery of human remains, working with government bodies including EOD, BIDKL, and SOVB.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECG Air Branch: Specialized division handling aircraft wreckage recovery operations, particularly from World War II aircraft crashes in Dutch territory, working in collaboration with government agencies including SOVB, EOD, and BIDKL.

Products and services

• Vooronderzoek (Preliminary Research) Historical research service that analyzes archives, documents, and WWII aerial photographs (including supplementary international sources) to determine whether war actions occurred in an area and if there is an elevated risk of encountering unexploded ordnance. Delivered to construction firms, engineering consultancies, and government clients and conforms to the Certificatieschema Vooronderzoek en Risicoanalyse (CS-VROO) standard.
• Risicoanalyse (Risk Analysis) Multidisciplinary risk assessment that overlays planned excavation work against preliminary research results to evaluate whether detected explosives pose danger in relation to planned construction activities. Can advise cost-saving execution methods and identify areas where no elevated risk exists, eliminating the need for further detection operations.
• Detectie (Detection) Detection service using advanced measurement techniques to identify metal-containing objects in soil and waterbeds (including floating equipment for sea, lake, and river beds). CS-OOO certified personnel determine mass and depth of objects, then analyze and interpret measurement data to distinguish suspicious objects from harmless metallic debris such as horseshoes or wire mesh.
• Benaderen en Veiligstellen (Approaching and Securing) Final clearance phase involving localization, careful approach, and identification of suspicious objects detected during the detection phase. Objects confirmed as explosives are secured in certified storage units before handover to the Explosieven Opruimingsdienst Defensie (EOD), culminating in a Proces Verbaal van Oplevering (official report of completion).
• Vliegtuigberging (Aircraft Recovery) - ECG Air Branch Specialized WWII aircraft wreck recovery service covering historical research, explosive ordnance detection, environmental surveys for hazardous substances, civil engineering support, asbestos inventory, soil remediation guidance, archaeological support, and ground restoration. Delivered in collaboration with Dutch municipalities, SOVB, EOD, and BIDKL, and operated within the Nationaal programma berging vliegtuigwrakken framework (70% government cost reimbursement for qualifying cases).

Quantifiable outcome

• Risk analysis may eliminate need for expensive detection operations in areas where planned activities pose no elevated risk

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Explosieven Opruimingsdienst Defensie (EOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEOD (Explosieven Opruimingsdienst Defensie) is the government body responsible for rendering explosives safe. After ADC secures unexploded ordnance in certified storage units, EOD takes custody and renders them harmless. This is a mandated government function that ADC coordinates with for every explosive clearance project.
• Bergings-en Identificatiedienst Koninklijke Landmacht (BIDKL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIDKL handles the identification and burial of human remains found in WWII aircraft wreckage. ADC coordinates with BIDKL for aircraft recovery projects where crew mortal remains are present, ensuring proper handling and transfer to military authorities.
• Stafofficier Vliegtuigbergingen (SOVB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOVB (Stafofficier Vliegtuigbergingen) is the staff officer responsible for aircraft recovery operations. ADC works with SOVB for all aircraft wreckage recovery projects, coordinating activities and ensuring compliance with national recovery protocols.
• Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken (BZK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBZK (Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations) has established the 'Nationaal programma berging vliegtuigwrakken met nog vermiste vliegers uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog' (National Program for Aircraft Wreck Recovery). ADC operates within this framework for government-coordinated recovery projects, with 70% of costs reimbursed for qualifying cases.
• SGLO (Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGLO is a historical research group that has compiled lists of aircraft wrecks containing mortal remains. ADC uses SGLO's research data to identify potential locations for recovery operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• 1st Line Defence: UK-based UXO survey, clearance and consultancy firm serving construction and infrastructure projects; directly comparable in service offerings (risk assessment, detection, support to client projects) and end-market focus.
• Terratec AS: Norwegian geophysical and UXO survey firm providing detection and risk assessment services to European infrastructure clients; directly comparable technical stack and end-market to ADC.
• SafeLane Global: International UXO risk mitigation and land/water survey specialist; competes with ADC's detection capability, including subsea/water body ordnance detection — a close direct peer in capability.
• Wessex Archaeology (UXO Services): Provides archaeology-led UXO risk management, including WWII-era ordnance assessment and detection tied to UK and European infrastructure projects — overlaps ADC's historical research and detection services.
• BACTEC International: International UXO/EO clearance firm with European operations; offers comparable detection, risk analysis, and ordnance disposal services to construction and infrastructure clients, making it a directly competing counterpart in the Western European market.
• Zetica UXO: UK-based UXO risk management specialist providing preliminary research, risk analysis, and detection survey services to construction and infrastructure clients — closely comparable service stack to ADC's Vooronderzoek/Detectie modules.

Others

• Royal HaskoningDHV (UXO practice within broader consultancy): Large Dutch engineering consultancy that subcontracts UXO expertise to ADC; while it offers broader engineering services, its UXO-adjacent advisory practice makes it a customer rather than direct competitor, and a useful comparable for go-to-market.

Regional players

• Bombs Away (Netherlands/Belgium operations): Dutch UXO clearance firm operating in the same Benelux geography as ECG, serving construction clients with comparable pre-research, risk analysis, and detection services.
• Bodemdeskundigen (Uw Praktijk BV UXO unit): Dutch environmental/UXO consultancy offering competing UXO risk assessment and detection services in the same Dutch geography, often alongside soil/environmental investigations.

Emerging players

• Recccon UXO Solutions: European UXO consultancy offering comparable risk assessment and clearance services; partly overlapping with ADC's pre-investigation and detection modules for Benelux/German infrastructure clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ECG_Wijchen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLn0IoJt8Tw3_a6K3nT_cxw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ECGWijchen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explosive-clearance-group-bv

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explosive Clearance Group