Displaying items by tag: Upgrade
Australia: Cement Australia has received a US$34.4m federal grant for a kiln upgrade to its Railton cement plant in Tasmania. The upgrade will allow the plant to raise its alternative fuels substitution rate. The project is funded by the government’s Powering the Regions initiative, with total investments valued at US$215m.
Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said “This US$215m investment in Australia’s hard-to-abate manufacturing and mining facilities is about securing the future of high-quality, low-emissions products made right here. Northern Tasmania, Central Queensland and Western Australia have been industrial powerhouses for generations, and the government is ensuring that continues. As global markets change rapidly, we’re supporting Australian industry to not only survive but thrive with our world-class products that support regional jobs across the country.”
Adbri secures funding towards grinding and blending systems upgrade at Birkenhead cement plant
24 April 2024Australia: The Australian federal government has granted Adbri US$32.5m for a new front-end engineering and design study at its Birkenhead cement plant. The study will assess the possible installation of a new vertical roller mill and post-production blending system at the plant. InDaily News has reported that the proposed upgrade will increase the plant’s production capacity and help to expand its range of reduced-CO2 cements. The funding falls under the government’s US$260m Critical Inputs to Clean Energy programme, which aims to help decarbonise the Australian economy by 2050.
CEO Mark Irwin said “With the Commonwealth’s support we have the potential to further accelerate the decarbonisation of our operations and products.”
Holcim Deutschland and ThyssenKrupp break ground on Lägerdorf cement plant carbon-neutralisation project
23 April 2024Germany: Holcim Deutschland has broken ground on the construction of a new kiln line and CO2 processing unit at its Lägerdorf cement plant in Schleswig-Holstein. The line will feature an OxyFuel kiln, supplied by ThyssenKrupp. ThyssenKrupp’s OxyFuel technology will assist in the capture of 1.2Mt/yr (nearly 100%) of CO2 from the plant. The partners described the upcoming upgraded Lägerdorf plant as one of the world's first carbon-neutral cement plants.
Holcim Deutschland CEO Thorsten Hahn said "We're laying the groundwork for a sustainable world through cement. Cement is essential for our cities, factories, homes, bridges and beyond. As we transition towards renewable energy, we must also construct the foundations and structures for wind turbines and railway tracks. With our climate-neutral cement plant, we ensure that this vital building material remains accessible without further harm to the atmosphere."
ThyssenKrupp Decarbon Technologies’ chief strategy officer Cetin Nazikkol said “It’s vital to switch to climate-friendly processes. By enriching CO2 by means of the pure OxyFuel technology we’ve developed, we help our customers capture almost all of the CO2 arising in the production process and so reuse it in a sustainable manner. Given that global cement production is more than 4Bnt/yr, we see enormous growth potential for our innovative technology.”
Cheonnaeri Cement completes calciner upgrade
22 April 2024North Korea: Cheonnaeri Cement has successfully concluded testing of a new calciner at its Cheonnaeri cement plant in South Hamgyong. Korean News has reported that the equipment has expanded the capacity of the plant, which was formerly 1Mt/yr. The company completed the work in three months.
Germany: Holcim is investing a three-figure million sum into its cement plant in Lägerdorf, Steinburg, according to the Segeberger Zeitung. The plant will employ a second-generation oxyfuel kiln line to increase the concentration of CO₂ in the flue gas during clinker production. The project aims to capture 1Mt/yr of CO₂. The new kiln line is expected to be operational by 2029.
State Secretary for Energy, Joschka Knuth, said "The decarbonisation of Holcim is a very important signal for the entire industrial location of Germany."
Italy: Bedeschi has finalised a new contract to supply Buzzi Unicem’s Guidonia integrated cement plant with a double-stage crushing unit. Each machine has a capacity of 750t/hr with two 315kW power systems installed. The system will receive limestone lumps of up to 600mm in diameter and will output limestone lumps below 50mm. No value for the order has been disclosed.
Kenya: East African Portland Cement (EAPCC) has closed its Athi River plant for a US$3m upgrade to boost production capacity.
Oliver Kirubai, EAPCC's managing director, said "We are doing the second phase of our machines upgrade, which is basically targeting to increase our output. Our target is that by June 2026 we should be able to produce 1Mt/yr of cement." He added "Seven local contractors are spearheading the upgrade of this plant. They will work with us during the 25-day closure of this facility." The current production capacity of the plant is 310,000t/yr.
EAPCC recorded a loss of US$9.8m for the financial year ending June 2023, despite making a profit of US$4m in the previous year. This shift was due to increased costs elevating the firm's cost of sales to US$29.4m from US$29.9m, despite a 37% increase in revenues to US$21.9m from US$15.9 in the previous year.
Japan: Taiheiyo Cement will install a gas engine power system at its Fujiwara cement plant in Inabe-shi, Mie Prefecture. The system replaces the existing thermal power system at the plant, which uses petcoke. Construction is set to begin in 2025 and the facility will be operational by the end of 2026. The new system will reduce the plant’s CO₂ emissions by 130,000t/yr.
President and representative director Masafumi Fushihara said "Taiheiyo Cement positions the reduction of CO₂ emissions from its cement production as an important growth strategy and will work to continue to achieve carbon neutrality through various countermeasures and the promotion of further energy conservation."
US: Heidelberg Materials North America has demonstrated its new bagging system at the Mitchell cement plant in Indiana. It features a Ventomatic GIROMAT EVO V12 rotary packer that can fill one bag per second and 3600 bags per hour, and has an automated kiosk system. The Mitchell plant predominantly manufactures EcoCem Portland limestone cement, along with Brixment Masonry and Stone-Hold products. The new system first became operational in 2023.
Toby Knott, vice president of cement sales in the Midwest region, said "Compared to earlier operations, when bags had to be put on spouts by hand, the increase in efficiency provides more opportunity." The plant's rebranding from Lehigh Cement to Heidelberg Materials can also be seen on new bag designs.
Lebap Cement Plant's second phase opens in Turkmenistan
15 March 2024Turkmenistan: On 13 March 2024, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov inaugurated the second phase of the Lebap Cement Plant in the Koitendag district, Lebap province, increasing its production capacity to 1Mt/yr. The first phase has been operational since February 2013. The new facility includes 38 buildings and is designed to meet international standards, including the production of sulphate-resistant cement.
Additionally, the President announced the upcoming launch of the Baherden Cement Plant's second stage in the Ahal province, expected to produce another 1Mt/yr of cement.
Serdar Berdimuhamedov said "Advanced equipment has been installed at the plant, which will help optimise the production process and produce products that are in high demand." He added “Turkmenistan has set a course for industrialisation, import substitution and ensuring the competitiveness of domestic construction products."