Displaying items by tag: KHD

Nepal: Germany’s Gebr. Pfeiffer has received an order via KHD to supply an MPS 225 BK vertical mill to grind coal for Samrat Cement. The cement company is building a new integrated production line at a plant in the Dang region.

The mill, with a drive power of 370kW, will grind 35t/hr of coal to a product fineness of 15% R 90µm. At the same time, the coal, which may have a feed moisture of up to 10%, is dried in the mill. An SLS 1800 BK integrated classifier will separate the ground coal into fine product and coarse product, with the latter being returned to the grinding zone to be again. The classifier will also allow petroleum coke to be separated to fineness degrees of <1% R 90µm.

The order was received via Gebr. Pfeiffer’s subsidiary in India. It will supply the main equipment for the mill and associated equipment for the grinding plant.

Germany: KHD has been awarded a contract to upgrade Thomas Zement’s grinding plant in Erwitte. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract includes process, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering services.
Mechanical and electrical equipment supply includes a roller press for raw material grinding, a static v-separator, an SKS dynamic separator and a KHD HKF process fan.

The deal also includes structural steel supply, erection and installation services for mechanical and electrical equipment as well as structural steel and supervision services for erection, installation and commissioning. KHD is also responsible for the tie-in of the new equipment to the existing raw material and product transport, as well as gas handling and treatment systems.

The erection and installation of the new grinding plant will be carried out during operation of the production line followed by a minimal possible switch over period. No value for the deal has been disclosed.

Russia: Filaret Galchev, the chairman of Eurocement, and Vladimir Sushkov, the chairman of the government of the Republic of Mordovia, has officially opened a Euro65m grinding unit at the Mordovcement plant. The new grinding unit includes two ball mills with a production capacity of 2.6Mt/yr, a 50,000t clinker warehouse and rail and truck despatch silos. Eurocement used equipment from Christian Pfeiffer, Claudius Peters, Aumund and KHD for the upgrade project at its subsidiary.

There have been quite a few new cement plant project announcements in the past week, with expansions announced in Mexico, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and Uzbekistan. 11.8Mt/yr of new capacity has been announced in just a week, mostly from a whopping 9.0Mt/yr project in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, the first in that Province. Notable in this project, as well as two of the others, is the involvement, once again, of large Chinese-based cement plant manufacturers and / or finance and associated influence from Chinese parties.

Of course, this trend is nothing new. The rise of Chinese cement plant manufacturers, particularly into Africa and other developing cement markets, has been covered in previous Global Cement Weekly columns. However, it does appear to be stepping up a notch in 2018 compared to previous years. So far this year we have reported on 21 confirmed Chinese cement plants being built in 15 countries other than China, from the planning stage to ‘up-and-running.’ A total of 37.2Mt/yr, more than the capacity of Germany, is being built across Algeria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Zambia. That’s not including a similarly large number of news stories where the supplier is not explicitly stated. This is seen a lot in Indian projects, as well as in Vietnam, where the cement sector appears to still be expanding, despite the government’s pronouncements. In many of these cases, and elsewhere, these unidentified suppliers are likely to be Chinese.

The driver for this increase in Chinese-led cement sector investment is, of course, the severe overcapacity in China’s domestic cement sector. The government is currently undertaking its most drastic capacity reduction measures so far. The ongoing integration of Sinoma and CNBM is one example of the lengths it will go to to reduce the current inefficiencies in the sector. This week the Chinese government reiterated its strict prohibition on new greenfield cement plants. It also warned that any producer that wants to upgrade its plant with a new line must only install the same capacity as the line that will be replaced, amid concerns that some were flouting this rule. This comes as the profits of major producers have been rising. Presumably the government would like them to climb further still.

So where does this leave the more established (read ‘European’) cement plant manufacturers such as Fives, FLSmidth, KHD and thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, some of which are fully or partly-owned by Chinese companies? Well, with fewer full-line projects available in developing regions due to the rise of the Chinese, they have become increasingly specialised in specific areas. Those that want European equipment will increasingly specify a pyro-line from Supplier A, a mill or two from Supplier B, conveyors and storage from supplier C, and so on. Arranging this, as it turns out, is something that Chinese plant manufacturers are quite keen to do. Take, for example, FLSmidth working for Sinoma (China) alongside Atlas Copco (Sweden) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan) on a cement plant in Indonesia. Indeed, FLSmidth signed a framework with CNBM on future collaborations in July 2018. FLSmidth and CNBM already have an extensive ‘back catalogue’ of joint projects. FLSmidth has valuable expertise that Chinese firms need to complete these kinds of projects.

Of course, another European supplier, Germany’s KHD, is mostly owned by China’s AVIC. In a forthcoming interview in the September 2018 issue of Global Cement Magazine, KHD’s CEO Gerold Keune states that the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) scene is now ‘completely dominated’ by Chinese suppliers. KHD fits in by providing a wide range of equipment but, crucially, great expertise in pyroprocessing and crushing solutions. It itself relies on smaller firms to provide their knowledge to specific parts of a larger project, be it conveyors, feeding systems or silos. Everyone is getting better and better, but in a smaller and smaller area.

Also in the September 2018 issue of Global Cement Magazine will be a report from the VDMA’s Large Industrial Plant Manufacturer’s group (AGAB) in Germany, which highlights another advantage for the Europeans: Digitisation. According to a VDMA survey, the industry anticipates a positive influence from digitisation activities on sales and earnings and expects to see margins improve by up to 10% as a result of the efficiencies it offers over the next three years. In this regard they are ahead of the Chinese mega-suppliers.

The conclusion from this wide-ranging column? The integration of Chinese weight and European know-how is stepping up a notch and will only accelerate from here. Can everyone be ‘winners?’ The next few years may reveal some of the answers.

Turkey: YD Madencilik, part of Üstyapi Insaat Group, has ordered a 5000t/day clinker production line from Germany’s KHD Humboldt Wedag. The plant will be built at Yiglica, Düzce in the Marmara region. KHD will be responsible for engineering and equipment supply, as well as the supervision of erection and commissioning. It will also provide its Simulex plant simulation software to mirror the operation of the new plant.

The new production line will consist of the following KHD core components: a six-stage preheater with Pyroclon LowNO_x AF calciner, equipped with a Pyrotop compact mixing chamber, tertiary air duct and the Pyrobox calciner firing system; a three tyre rotary kiln, with a diameter of 4.8m; a Pyro-Jet kiln burner; and a Pyrofloor clinker cooler equipped with a Pyrocrusher system.

After commissioning, KHD says that YD Madencilik’s plant will operate its most efficient six-stage preheater in Turkey. It added that close to 70% of Turkish cement production units have been designed and installed by KHD. Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for the third quarter of 2019.

Turkey: Germany’s KHD Humboldt Wedag plans to increase its field staff at its office in Istanbul. They will primarily work on site in supervision for assembly and commissioning. The engineering company added that it intends to continue to increase its workforce in the country and that ‘experienced and well-trained cement experts’ should apply proactively.

Argentina: Germany’s KHD has been awarded a contract by Holcim Argentina for the upgrade project of a clinker production line at its Malagueño cement plant near Córdoba. Holcim Argentina intends to recommission its mothballed 1650t/day production line, which originally was supplied by KHD Humboldt Wedag in the early 1980s. Commissioning for the updated line is planned for mid-2019.

KHD’s scope includes the engineering and supply of mechanical equipment for raw material preparation and clinker production as well as electrical equipment in order to modernise and recommission the currently mothballed production line no 1.

Core equipment for the project includes: tertiary raw material crusher with a capacity of 250t/hr; ball mill drive for existing ball mill and new feeding equipment for raw meal preparation; separator for raw material grinding plant; kiln feed dosing system; four-stage preheater; rotary kiln 4.4m x 64m and drive system; revamping of existing clinker cooler with ‘fourth generation’ walking floor grate; main bag house for kiln/mill and clinker cooler; and main process fans.

Austria: Rohrdorfer Group has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Humboldt Wedag, a subsidiary of KHD, for the modernisation of the kiln line at its cement plant operations in Gmunden. The upgrade will enable the flexible usage of a wide range of waste fractionally pre-treated derived fuels on a high substitution rate.

The modernisation project comprises the design and supply of KHD’s world´s first ever Pyrorotor Calciner Technology, as well as the replacement of the existing satellite cooler with a new generation Pyrofloor PFC2 clinker cooler. The existing three station rotary kiln will be fitted with a new kiln drive and a new kiln hood as well as kiln inlet and outlet.

With the installation of the new Pyrorotor Calciner Technology from KHD the Gmunden plant will be able to burn very coarse waste derived fuels including whole rubber tires, which will lead to drastically reduced requirements in regard to waste pre-treatment. Therefore, the kiln modification will also emphasise on pollutant emission reduction.

The contract includes: three new preheater cyclones; a new preheater ID-fan; a tertiary air duct; a Pyrotop compact calciner mixing chamber; Pyrorotor Calciner burning chamber technology, a Pyroclon Calciner Burning System; a new kiln bypass unit; a multi-fuel Pyro-Jet kiln burner for primary and secondary fuels; a new kiln drive and kiln hood; a Pyrofloor PFC2 clinker cooler equipped with a Pyrocrusher roller type clinker crusher; and Simulex plant simulation software.

KHD services include the dismantling of existing equipment parts as well as the engineering, design, supply and erection of new equipment including commissioning services. Commissioning of the new system is scheduled for April 2019.

Nepal: The German vertical roller mill (VRM) producer Loeshe GmbH has gained a new customer in Nepal. The cement division of Chaudhary Group, based in Kathmandu, has placed an order for a 25t/hr vertical roller mill for coal grinding for the 3900t/day (1.3Mt/yr) integrated cement plant that it is building in the Palpa region.

Loesche received the order though KHD, the lead bidder at the plant. The LM 26.3 D mill will be in operation during 2018 with a throughput of 50t/hr, 15% R on 90μm.

Turkey: Soma Cimento has ordered a 4000t/day clinker production line from KHD for its plant at Soma near Manisa. The contract includes engineering, equipment supply, and supervision of erection and commissioning, including KHD’s Simulex plant simulation system, which will simulate the operation of the plant. Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for the spring of 2018.

The core components of KHD’s new line are: a five-stage KHD Preheater with Pyroclon-R LowNO_x AF calciner, equipped with Pyrotop compact mixing chamber, tertiary air duct and Pyrobox calciner firing system; a Pyrorapid two-tire rotary kiln, with a diameter of 4.6m; a Pyro-jet kiln burner; and a Pyrofloor clinker cooler equipped with a Pyrocrusher System.

This project will be the third commissioning of KHD’s Low-NOx calciner with Pyroloop Technology in Turkey. It will be KHD’s 51st kiln line in Turkey. No value for the order has bee disclosed.