Ireland: Mannok’s cement plant at Ballyconnell shut down for scheduled maintenance at the beginning of 2026, and a new kiln hood was installed. The original kiln cooler Fixed Inlet Grate was installed in 2000, and had become ‘deformed’, resulting in significant ingress of false air. It was replaced by an ABC cooler inlet and outlet seal. Mannok said that the upgrades were already delivering measurable gains in energy efficiency and enabling increased fuel-switching capability. Mannok appointed Fuller as engineering, procurement and construction contractor, which supplied the kiln hood, cooler inlet and outlet seal, while G Leonard carried out the refractory works. The thermal substitution rate has reportedly increased significantly and the cooler inlet has eliminated the formation of ‘snowmen’ – the solidified build-up of molten clinker in the grate, reducing downtime and improving production reliability.
Paul Carron, decarbonisation engineering manager at Mannok, said “Projects like this are central to our strategy as we continue to decarbonise our cement operations. The successful installation of the new kiln hood and ABC cooler components is already delivering tangible efficiency gains and enabling greater use of alternative fuels. From initial planning through to execution, the project ran very smoothly, which is a testament to the collaboration between our in-house teams and trusted partners. This is another important step forward as we remain fully committed to achieving our decarbonisation goals under the Mannok 2030 Vision.”