Nigeria: German vertical roller mill (VRM) producer Loesche GmbH has been awarded a contract for five new VRMs from China's Sinoma International Engineering, which is building a two kiln extension to the existing Dangote Cement Ibese plant. Loesche previously delivered equipment for the first and second lines at the same plant.

The five VRMs to be supplied are two 450t/hr Loesche Mill Type LM69.9 mills for raw material and three 310t/hr cement LM 63.3+3C cement mills. As with previous work at Ibese, the high moisture of the material of up to 20%, the sticky nature of the raw material and the low grindability of the raw material represent special challenges for the project.

In addition to the mills and the mill motors, Loesche will deliver metal detectors and hopper discharge feeders. The supply of the equipment will be split between Loesche, which is supplying key parts, and a Chinese-manufactured portion arranged by Sinoma International under supervision of Loesche. Delivery is scheduled at the end of 2013.

Ethiopia: Sinoma has also announced that it has contracted Loesche as the sole supplier of grinding technology for the construction of the Menagasha grinding plant, which is being constructed by Dangote. Delivery will be in early 2014.

Four Loesche mills will be included in the process; a 450t/hr LM 69.6 for raw material grinding, a 50t/hr LM 28.3D for coal grinding and two LM53.3+3C mills will be used for grinding clinker additives such as gypsum, limestone and pumice.

In addition to the mills and the mill motors, Loesche will deliver metal detectors and mill rotary feeders. The supply is a split-up of Loesche key parts and a Chinese manufactured portion arranged by Sinoma International under supervision of Loesche.

Both the plant elevation of 2600m above sea level and the very poor grindability of the cement raw material represents a special challenge for the layout of the grinding equipment in this case.