Displaying items by tag: Upgrade

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak subsidiary CMS Cement has secured board approval to build a new 1.9Mt/yr clinker line at its Kuching cement plant at Jalan Mambong. This will more than triple its clinker capacity to 2.8Mt/yr. The Star newspaper has reported that construction will continue for 36 months from the date of groundbreaking. CMS Cement expects to invest US$161m in the project.

The Kuching cement plant is reportedly operating at 55% utilisation of its 2.75Mt/yr cement capacity. It currently relies on 40% of its own clinker to produce cement, with 60% of clinker imported. It aims to achieve clinker self-sufficiency to better serve growing markets in Sarawak and elsewhere, including Malaysia’s upcoming new capital city, Nusantara, on the opposite side of Borneo.

Canada: Heidelberg Materials North America has appointed engineering firm WSP to carry out design, engineering and implementation of a planned 1Mt/yr carbon capture installation at its Edmonton cement plant in Alberta. Construction will begin in late 2024 and reach completion in late 2027. Through the project, Heidelberg Materials North America aims to realise net zero CO₂ cement production at the 1.4Mt/yr Edmonton plant.

Heidelberg Materials’ vice president of cement Joerg Nixdorf said "WSP’s proven track record of delivering high-quality and sustainable engineering solutions aligns perfectly with our vision of driving decarbonisation in the cement industry. Together, we will push the boundaries of what's possible and create a truly transformative project."

Bangladesh: Premier Cement Mills has installed an 11,000t/day vertical roller mill (VRM) at its West Mukterpur grinding plant in Munshiganj. The producer said that the expansion will more than double the grinding plant’s capacity to 7Mt/yr.

Energy & Power News has reported that Premier Cement Mills took a loan worth US$32.4m for the construction of the new mill.

France: Vicat says that it will commission its planned 100% carbon capture system at its Montalieu-Vercieu cement plant ‘before 2030,’ and possibly as soon as 2027. The Les Echos newspaper has reported that the system will have a capture capacity of 1Mt/yr of CO₂, although the plant’s emissions are currently 800,000t/yr. Captured CO₂ may then be transported by barge, train or pipeline to the port of Fos-sur-Mer.

When commissioned, the upcoming carbon capture system will reduce the CO₂ emissions of cement produced at the Montalieu-Vercieu plant by 94% to 40kg/t.

Russia: Cementum is preparing to upgrade the grinding capacity at its integrated Ferzikovo cement plant in Kaluga region. The US$40m project will add 0.3Mt/yr of grinding capacity to the plant. Other planned developments include building a dry building materials unit and a concrete plant. Maxim Goncharov, the general director of Cementum and Vitaly Bogachenko, the Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainable Development of Cementum, met with Vladislav Shapsha, the governor of the Kaluga Region, in mid-June 2023 at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum to discuss development in the region. Holcim’s divested Russian business rebranded as Cementum in early 2023.

Russia: Cemros’ integrated Serebryansky cement plant in Ryzan region has switched to using gas as a fuel. The project was conducted with Gazprom and the regional government, including linking the site up to the gas network with a 14km pipeline. CO₂ emissions at the plant are expected to decrease by up to 17% and electricity consumption by 4%. The 1.8Mt/yr plant used around 200,000t/yr of coal before starting the switch to gas from March 2023.

Greece: Titan Group has successfully commissioned an upgrade to the pre-calciner system of its Kamari cement plant in Voiotia. Titan Group says that this will enable the 3.1Mt/yr plant to expand its range of lower carbon cements, reducing its CO₂ emissions by 150,000t/yr. It also increases the plant's maximum possible alternative fuels (AF) substitution rate.

Titan Group’s Europe regional executive director Yanni Paniaras said "The completion of the Kamari plant upgrade represents a significant achievement for Titan Group. We are witnessing tangible results as our green innovation gains momentum and takes shape. This successful implementation of one of our major capital expenditure projects exemplifies our dedication to sustainable operations and strategic growth, while we continue to pursue more growth opportunities in all our active markets. We are committed to offering our customers and communities greener products and solutions, playing our part in building a sustainable future for all.”

World: Menzel Elektromotoren says that it has successfully supplied a new MEBSSL-type three-phase slip ring mill motor to a cement plant. The supplier modeled the new motor on a preexisting machine at the site, with a 710mm-high shaft and 2000kW rated power capacity. It is also equipped with a short-circuiting and brush-loading device. It said that this will reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Menzel Elektromotoren is currently building a new motor plant at Henningsdorf in Brandenburg, Germany, which will also function as its new headquarters from 2024.

France: Lafarge France has signed a memorandum of understanding with green hydrocarbons specialist Axens, utilities provider EDF and research firm IFP Energies Nouvelles for a synthetic fuel production trial. The partners will build a plant to produce kerosene using captured CO₂ from a carbon capture installation at Lafarge France's Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant. The project, called Take Kair, aims to produce fuel for use by aviation companies, including Air France-KLM Group.

Holcim France president François Petry said "The decarbonisation of our processes and products is at the heart of our strategic commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050. Beyond the modernisation of our production tools, we work on all industrial and technological levers to reduce our emissions, and thus decarbonise our industry. With the Take Kair project, we are taking a decisive step in the capture and management of our residual CO₂ emissions and participate with our partners in the emergence of an innovative and sustainable sector serving the country's mobility needs."

Lafarge France, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim, announced a Euro40m investment in the 1.6Mt/yr Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant to achieve carbon neutral cement production there in March 2022.

India: Nuvoco Vistas has commissioned feeding systems for alternative fuel (AF) in the pyro-process sections of its Nimbol and Risda cement plants. The systems will handle municipal solid waste, including unrecyclable plastic.

Managing director Jayakumar Krishnaswamy said "As part of our Protect Our Planet agenda, we view the AF projects as an important step towards fulfilling our commitment to sustainable cement manufacturing and reducing the environmental impacts. The successful completion of this project demonstrates our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, maximising waste consumption and demonstrating responsible resource management practices.” He added "This along with, other themes under Protect Our Planet agenda, is enabling Nuvoco to build robust partnerships with several stakeholders, and contribute to society at large.”