2007
November 2008
C E ME NT & MINERALS
ONE KILN 13,000 tpd
Taking the
long-term view
Editor: Anders Klinkby Godiksen
(responsible under Danish law)
Brenda Kaplan
V. Ragini Shah
Henrik Vinther
Charlotte Pinson
Neal Biege
Production: Gunnar Andreasen
Translations: Martin Bojesen
Editorial office:
FLSmidth A/S
Vigerslev Allé 77,
DK-2500 Valby, Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: +45 36 18 10 00
Fax: +45 36 45 44 27
Email: [email protected]
Internet: www.flsmidth.com
All rights reserved
Contents
ACC build’s world’s biggest line
Record Cement and Minerals orders
Buxton upgrades to 3000 tpd
Welcome to the green world of FLSmidth
Next generation Duoflex burner
Secondary NOx reduction
World’s largest FGD horizontal belt filter
TITAN Cement converts to hybrid filter
Pressure filter technology acquired
Metallurgical testing laboratory joins
Minerals plant designer enters Group
Robots boost sample analysis
Following in the giants’ footsteps
World-class cooling
It takes the heat – it takes the lead
Overcoming effects of alternative fuel
Largest vertical cement mill on stream
ABON equipment does the job
Vasavadatta comes back for more
Large capacity clinker systems (1)
Chettinad builds two identical lines
New fly ash system (A2P™)
Training that empowers workforce
The entire puzzle ready for assembly
India House in green setting
Beat the Autopilot
Green energy for FLSmidth India
FLSmidth Roadrunners
Strong presence in Vietnam
On the job
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Front cover: At Wadi in India’s southern Karnataka state,
Associated Cement Companies Limited (ACC) is building
the world’s hitherto biggest production line with a capacity
of 13,000 tonnes per day. Read more on page 3.
Lay­out: Blue Business A/S · ISSN 0909-8992
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Highlights November 2008
The mortgage crisis in the USA and the subsequent turbulence in the financial
markets have sent warning lights flashing for the world economy and have
cooled down the general feeling of optimism.
Also the cement and minerals markets are being affected, but we are confident that the long-term global picture remains bright. At FLSmidth we have
successfully strived to make ourselves less dependent on trade cycles. In less
than a year, our new Minerals strategy has become widely accepted by the industry and in Cement the emerging markets are seeing continuous growth.
As will appear from this issue of Highlights the intake of orders has surged
over the past six months and has reached an unprecedented level in the
company’s history. These achievements are due to the fact that we have
always taken a long-term view and expanded our organisation well ahead of
the boom so that we were ready to act when the market returned to growth.
We have dedicated our entire existence to the cement and minerals industries
and believe that long-term relationships are the best guarantee for business
success - for FLSmidth as well as our customers, both new and old. Upturns
are more fun, but we take the rough with the smooth.
The cement and minerals markets are exciting places to be. We have set
ambitious goals for our contribution to these industries and have the capability
to reach them. We wish to maintain an open dialogue with our customers to
learn about their needs and to jointly look for means of ongoing improvement.
In this issue of Highlights we bring you reports on some of our major
activities and progress achieved on all continents over the past six months.
I wish you pleasant reading of the magazine.
J. Huno Rasmussen
CEO, FLSmidth
ACC builds world’s biggest
production line
When the Associated Cement
Companies Limited (ACC) lit the
flame at their greenfield plant
in Wadi, back in 2001, not only
did they become India’s largest
cement producer at the time, but
they also started up what is to
become the world’s largest kiln
system with a daily capacity of
13,000 tonnes.
Back in 1996, ACC contacted FLSmidth
with a view to building a 10,000 tpd cement production line. Launched in early
2000, the project was divided into two
phases to match the development of the
accompanying infrastructure and the
growth in demand for cement.
Phase one – 6,000 tpd
The first phase comprised a complete
production line with a guaranteed
throughput of 5,000 tpd. The machinery
was actually designed to handle 6,000
tpd which has indeed been the daily
production rate since start-up.
The core machinery like kiln, kiln hood,
cooler and some material handling
equipment was dimensioned from the
start for an eventual daily throughput of
10-12,000 tonnes. FLSmidth supplied
equipment for all sections of the plant
including various storages, vertical raw
and coal mills, kiln, burner and cooler
systems and cement ball mills. FLSmidth
Designs carried out the civil design for
both phases one and two of the new
13,000 tpd production line.
Phase two – 13,000 tpd
The second phase was planned to start
up two years after the first flame of
phase one. However, this was postponed
due to the slowdown in the Indian
cement industry in the wake of the
economic crises in Asia at the start of
this millennium.
The plan for Phase two was originally to duplicate Phase one so that two
preheater towers would be located side
by side, feeding the same kiln.The existing preheater system had two strings
with an SLC calciner, but due to new
technical advances it was decided to incorporate a 6-stage two-string preheater
tower with an ILC calciner to cope with a
throughput of 7000 tpd. Once the whole
project is finished, the new and the existing systems together will have a capacity
of 13,000 tpd, feeding the same kiln.
It was originally planned to extend
the Coolax grate cooler, but with the
advent of modern cross-bar coolers ACC
chose to replace the existing cooler with
a new 6x8 SF Cross-Bar cooler with a
Heavy-duty Roll Breaker (HRB). The HRB
will be the largest ever supplied.
The kiln burner will once again be a
Duoflex but this time with an output of
204 MW and with a primary air fan of
3500 mmWG pressure.
Equipment deliveries and installation
of Phase two are already in progress and
once finished ACC will have the world’s
absolutely largest pyro processing line.
Highlights will of course follow the
progress of this outstanding project and
report on it from time to time.
Highlights November 2008
3
Record high order backlog
in Cement and Minerals
During the past six months,
FLSmidth has experienced an unabated high level of investments
in new plant and machinery
among the world’s leading producers of cement and minerals.
The high market activity in Cement was
particularly pronounced in Russia, India
and Africa. For 2008, the total market
for new cement kiln capacity (exclusive
of China) is expected to reach some
150 million tonnes per year, which is a
record high.
Similarly, in Minerals, investments
are continuing at a high level, notably
in South America, Australia and India.
Customers are responding favourably
to FLSmidth’s new One Source – One
Partner concept focusing on complete
minerals processing plants and materials
handling solutions.
On the following pages is a summary of the principal contracts received by
the FLSmidth Group since the previous
issue of Highlights.
Brisk business around
the Mediterranean
In Egypt, three major cement contracts
were signed within four months, three
of them under the new licences issued
by the Ministry of Industry last year.
The first is for El Sewedy Cement
Company’s new greenfield plant. The
5,000 tpd facility will be built near Ain
Soukhna in the Suez province, 110 km
east of Cairo. FLSmidth will be supplying
engineering and all the major machinery, ranging from EV limestone and clay
crushers, raw material stores and ATOX
raw mill to CF silo, 3-support kiln with
5-stage ILC preheater, SF Cross-Bar
cooler, clinker storage and OK 42 cement
mill with cement silos. The OK will be
the largest cement mill ever installed in
Egypt.
In addition, FLSmidth Ventomatic
is to supply three packing lines, both
vertical mill gears will be from FLSmidth
MAAG, FLSmidth Airtech will provide
filters and FLSmidth Automation is responsible for a complete QCX quality
control system.
The second Egyptian contract is also
for a project based on the new official
licences and also concerns a greenfield
plant. The likewise 5,000 tpd facility is
being built by Wadi El Nile Cement
Company and will be situated close
to the city of Beni Seuf, about 120 km
south of Cairo.
The range of equipment supplies resembles that for El Sewedy. Again in this
project, FLSmidth Group companies and
divisions will be providing packing lines,
mill gears, filter and a control system.
The equipment for both the El Sewedy
and Wadi El Nile projects will be shipped
over the next couple of years.
The third Egyptian contract is with
Arabian Cement Company (ACC) for
an expansion of its recently commissioned plant, also supplied by FLSmidth.
A 6,000 tonnes per day new production
line will be built at the plant site, which
is situated near the city of Suez.
The majority of the equipment for
this line will also be of FLSmidth design,
including an ATOX raw mill, a CF silo, a
3-support kiln including a 5-stage ILC
Arabian Cement Company has
contracted with FLSmidth to
build a second line at the Ramliya
site near Suez in Egypt.
Signing the contract with El Sewedy Cement Company in
Egypt, left to right: Mr Jørgen Tingskov (Department Manager,
FLSmidth), Mr Sadek El Sewedy (Chairman, El Sewedy Cement
Company), Mr Erik Birch (Senior Vice President, FLSmidth).
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Highlights November 2008
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line. The contract includes crushers, an
ATOX raw mill, a pyroprocessing line
complete with SF Cross-Bar cooler as
well as a UMS cement grinding mill and
a packing plant.
The new, state-of-the-art production
line will mean a significant boost to the
Jordanian cement industry.
In Algeria, FLSmidth is continuing its
successful relationship with the Egyptian-owned ASEC Cement Holding
Group. ASEC Algeria Cement Company (AACC) has awarded a contract
for two new production lines, each with
a capacity of 4,500 tonnes per day, for
a greenfield plant to be built near the
town of Djelfa, less than 300 km south
of Algiers. Thus, FLSmidth is maintaining
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preheater and an SF Cross-Bar cooler, a
clinker storage, two UMS cement mills
and cement silos. Besides, FLSmidth
Group companies will be providing
mill gears, filters, dosing and weighing
equipment, a packing plant and an electrical and control systems package.
In Jordan, Modern Cement and
Mining Company is building a cement
plant with a capacity of 3,500 tonnes
clinker per day. The plant will be located
northeast of the town of Qatraneh,
80 km south of Jordan’s capital, Amman.
Modern Cement and Mining is part of
the Jordanian-owned Manaseer Group.
The Jordanian company has entrusted FLSmidth with supplies of equipment
and civil design for the new production
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its track record of being the sole supplier
of pyroprocessing systems to Algeria’s
cement industry, a position it has held
since the early 1980s.
In addition to the pyroprocessing
part of the contract, which comprises
two complete three-support kilns with
ILC preheaters and SF Cross-Bar coolers,
the scope of supply includes EV crushers, ATOX raw mills, raw material stores,
UMS cement mills, gear units, packing
lines and a quality control system. The
new plant is due to be commissioned in
2011.
Highlights November 2008
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Record high order backlog
in Cement and Minerals
CIS markets remain
buoyant
The CIS countries are seeing massive
expansion and modernisation of their
cement and minerals industries. Over
the past six months, FLSmidth has
received contracts for four cement
projects and two minerals projects in
Ukraine, Russia and Armenia.
Buzzi Unicem S.p.A. has ordered
an equipment package for a new production line at an existing cement plant
in Ukraine. The plant site is in the Rivne
region some 300 km west of Kiev. The
scope of supply includes CF silos, FLSmidth Pfister raw meal feeders, dryer
crushers and a complete three-support
kiln with two-string three-stage ILC preheater and SF Cross-Bar cooler. Equipment delivery is expected to begin in the
spring of 2009 and commissioning is
scheduled for 2011.
Dyckerhoff AG and its Italian parent
Buzzi Unicem S.p.A. have placed an
order for equipment for a 6,000 tonnes
per day greenfield plant to be built near
the Russian city of Akbulak, in the
Orenburg region southwest of the Ural
Mountains and about 45 km north of
the Kazakhstani border. Both the Russian
and the Kazakhstan markets are booming, and the economic development of
the Orenburg region and Kazakhstan
is being driven by the presence of exploited oil and gas reserves. The scope of
the contract and the time frame for its
implementation are similar to those of
Buzzi Unicem’s Ukrainian project.
In the Black Sea region JSC Verhnebakanskiy Cement Plant is set to
build a complete cement production
line at its existing site. The 6,200 tonnes
per day line will be the largest in Russia
and will feature one of the largest ATOX
mills FLSmidth has ever supplied. The
scope of the contract covers the entire
production process, from crushing to
packaging. The state-of-the-art production equipment will be controlled by
cutting-edge FLSmidth laboratory and
automation systems. As one of the first
cement production lines in Russia, it is
also being prepared for possible later
conversion to alternative fuels. Some of
Signing the contracts with Buzzi Unicem
S.p.A. for projects at Volyn-Cement in
Ukraine and Akbulak in Russia.
Buzzi-Unicem has decided to build a new modern 6,000 tonnes per day line
with FLSmidth technology at its existing Volyn-Cement plant in Ukraine.
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Highlights November 2008
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technology. LLC SGMK Group has
awarded a contract for all the machinery
for its new 3500 tonnes per day
“Uchulensky” facility near Novokuznetsk,
some 450 km southeast of Novosibirsk.
The equipment will be specially designed
to withstand low temperatures and
some of the machinery will be manufactured in Russia based on FLSmidth
specifications. The scope of supplies
includes raw material stores, ATOX raw
and coal mills, CF silo, 5-stage preheater, 3-support kiln, SF Cross-Bar cooler,
OK cement mill, silos, packing plant and
quality control system.
Not only the cement industry, but
also minerals producers in the CIS countries are active on the investment front.
About 200 kilometres north of Armenia’s capital Yerivan, is the country’s
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the equipment will be manufactured in
Russia based on technical specifications
from FLSmidth.
Elsewhere in Russia, a complete
material handling package has been
ordered for a 5,500 tpd cement project
with which FLSmidth is already involved
as supplier of main machinery. The order
includes crushing station, conveyor systems and blending/storage equipment.
New and innovage storage concepts
will save costs for the customer, whilst
a pipe conveyor system will alleviate the
dust problem and protect the environment. The complete materials handling
solution will be provided by FLSmidth
MVT, and equipment supplies are due
to take place in 2009.
For the first time, a new cement plant
in Siberia will be built with FLSmidth
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second-largest copper molybdenum
deposit which is mined by Teghout
csj. This company, which is owned by
the Vallex Group and is affiliated with
Armenian Copper Programme cjsc, has
awarded FLSmidth Minerals a contract
for primary comminution and classification equipment. The contract includes
the supply of a SAG mill, a ball mill, two
crushers, hydrocyclones and complete
millMax pumps. This equipment, which
will provide a feed capacity of 900
tonnes per hour, is to be supplied in the
second half of 2010.
FLSmidth is supplying all the machinery for Russia’s largest
­cement production line (6,200 tonnes per day) to be built at
JSC Verhnebakanskiy’s existing site in the Black Sea region.
Highlights November 2008
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Record high order backlog
in Cement and Minerals
The world’s biggest processing plant for
vanadium enriched titaniferous ores,
Nizhnetagilskiy Metallurgicheskiy
Kombinat (NTMK), in Russia is expanding capacity. FLSmidth Minerals
has signed a contract with Austrianbased MFL Maschinenfabrik Liezen und
Giesserei Ges.m.b.H. to supply a rolling
mill system for the expansion project.
The contractual supplies from FLSmidth
include transport systems with cooling
bed for the finishing line in the rail rolling mill. This is the biggest rolling mill
contract FLSmidth has won since it entered this line of business in 1994.
FLSmidth Minerals has signed a contract with
Teghout csj to supply primary comminution
and classification equipment for a copper
molybdenum processing plant in Armenia.
Below left: Mr Wolfgang van Ommen,
FLSmidth Minerals (left), and Mr Valery
Medzhlumyan, Chairman and majority
owner of the Vallex Group (right),
congratulate each other on the contract
signing.
Below right: Scale model of the entire plant.
To the left the open pit mine, in the middle
(red) the various concentrator facilities and
to the right the tailings pond.
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Highlights November 2008
Active markets in
South America
On the South American continent, producers of minerals, notably copper, are
busy investing in new plants to meet the
world’s rapidly rising demand for metals. The market is responding favourably
to FLSmidth Minerals new One Source
– One Partner concept that enables
customers to order complete solutions
tailored to their specific needs.
In Peru, Southern Copper Corporation has awarded FLSmidth Minerals
its biggest contract ever for the dry
processing of 100,000 tonnes of ore per
day. Southern Copper is part of Grupo
Mexico SA de CV, which is the world’s
third largest copper producer. The Tia
Maria greenfield plant will be located
near Arequipa in southern Peru, some
1,000 kilometres southeast of Lima.
The contract includes design, engineering, equipment supplies, spare
parts and commissioning. The scope of
equipment supplies includes a gyratory
crusher station, an overland conveyor,
a secondary/tertiary crushing plant, an
ore spreading system to form leaching
pads and a large bucket wheel reclaimer.
Commissioning of the plant is scheduled
for late 2010.
Xstrata Copper, the world’s fourth
largest copper producer, and Bechtel,
one of the world’s premier engineering,
construction and project management
companies, have entered into a longterm partnership with FLSmidth Minerals
to facilitate the development of copper
projects. Among the projects that may
be implemented under this alliance are
Antapaccay and Las Bambas in Peru.
In total, the partnership agreement
foresees provision of crushing and
grinding equipment as well as engineering services for six world class copper
facilities. Initially, FLSmidth Minerals has
received a contract from Xstrata Copper,
to supply grinding and crushing equipment.
The alliance also involves designing
a replicable copper concentrator and
other facilities that could be used for
Xstrata Copper’s individual projects. This
will enable early ordering of long-lead
time items and reduce engineering time
and costs in the individual projects. The
benefits of this engineering and supply
strategy may at a later stage also be explored in other key areas of the copper
processing flow sheet.
Meanwhile, Chilean-based Centenario Copper is involved in a project
that will enable its Franke plant in the
Boleo is a polymetallic project to extract
cobalt, zinc and potentially manganese
along with the copper. A broad variety
of FLSmidth Minerals products will be
included in the project such as cone
crushers, a sizer, a scrubber, a ball mill, a
metallurgical reactor-clarifier and highdensity thickeners, pumps and hydrocyclones.
At a Mexican lead-zinc sulphide concentrator plant, Minera Peñasquito,
FLSmidth Minerals is to undertake
integral maintenance of the greenfield
130,000 tonnes per day facility. The
equipment for the concentrator plant,
including SAG mills, ball mills, the world’s
largest flotation plant and tailings and
concentrate dewatering equipment, was
supplied by FLSmidth Minerals under a
contract signed in 2007.
The recently signed maintenance
contract also includes responsibility for
the commissioning, start-up and expansion of the mineral processing complex.
To perform these services, FLSmidth
will provide highly qualified mainte
nance specialists who will ensure that
the experience and technology FLSmidth
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region of Antofagasta to produce 30,000
tonnes of cathode copper per year with
a complete dry area system supplied by
FLSmidth. The system, designed to process 11,000 tonnes of copper ore per
day, will include a primary jaw crusher, a
secondary and two tertiary cone crushers, screening equipment, feeders, a
stockpile, an agglomerator and a complete stacking system. The contract also
entails plant design, mechanical, electrical and structural engineering as well
as erection of the plant. This is the first
time FLSmidth Minerals sells a complete
dry area system in this part of the world.
Another copper production expansion project is under way in Mexico. Baja
Mining Corp. and its majority ownedsubsidiary, Minera y Metalurgic del
Boleo have awarded FLSmidth Minerals
a contract to supply complete equipment
systems and technical expertise. FLSmidth
will supply key process technology packages for four sections of the Boleo plant
system, covering ore milling and grinding, counter-current decantation, impurities removal and limestone grinding for
neutralisation/tailings disposal.
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has developed over the years in other
maintenance contracts will be utilised at
the new plant. When fully operational
in 2010, Minera Peñasquito, which is
owned by Gold Corp. of Canada, will be
the largest lead-zinc concentrator in the
world.
Also the Latin American cement
industry, particularly in Brazil, is seeing
investments in new plant and machinery.
Votorantim Cimentos S.A., headquartered in São Paulo, has awarded
FLSmidth multiple contracts for proprietary equipment and engineering services
as part of a recently announced investment of approximately USD 2 billion.
The new equipment will enhance the
production capabilities at various plants
throughout Brazil including Vidal Ramos,
Barauna, Nobres, Xambioa and Sepetiba.
In addition to engineering services,
the scope of supply includes two ATOX
raw mills, two OK 33-4 vertical mills
for slag grinding, two OK 30-4 vertical mills for finished cement grinding
and a MAAG WPU 161 spare gearbox.
Votorantim and FLSmidth are also finalising a contract for three 5-stage ILC
preheaters, three 4.15x64m kilns, associated engineering services and spare
parts to be installed at the Vidal Ramos,
Barauna, and Nobres plants.
The Votorantim group is one of the
largest private corporations in Brazil in
the fields of cement, minerals and metals. Votorantim controls 40% of the
Brazilian cement production and an
important part of ready-mix operations.
Internationally the Votorantim group
controls a number of cement production
facilities in the USA and Canada.
Highlights November 2008
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Record high order backlog
in Cement and Minerals
India’s growing economy stimulates demand
for materials and cement
Both the cement and minerals industries
in India are benefitting from the growing economy and population. In cement,
a new production line is to be built at
Prism Cement’s site in Satna Madhya
Pradesh in central India. FLSmidth
has been awarded the contract for
machinery and equipment for the 7,200
tonnes per day project. The scope of
supplies includes two ATOX raw mills,
an ATOX coal mill, a two-string 6-stage
ILC preheater kiln system, an SF CrossBar cooler and two UMS ball mills for
cement grinding. The contract is being
handled by FLSmidth’s Chennai-based
cement projects division which is already
busy with a number of minor projects
in India.
In minerals, FLSmidth has received a
large order from Utkal Alumina
International Limited. This project
covers a gas suspension calciner and a
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Highlights November 2008
coal handling plant for a 1 – 1.5m tonnes
per year alumina refinery. The greenfield
refinery will be situated at Rayagada Orissa, some 180 kilometres from the eastern
port of Visakhapatnam.
The contracts signed with Utkal Alumina, which is part of the Aditya Birla
Group, cover design, engineering and
supply and commissioning. FLSmidth
Minerals will supply pyro-processing
equipment and technologies, pan filters
and electrostatic precipitators for two
calciner systems each processing 2,500
tonnes per day. Both calciner systems
will be prepared for future upgrading to
3,300 tpd.
For the coal handling plant, FLSmidth
Minerals will supply stackers and reclaimers as well as pipe conveyors that
reduce nust nuisance and a special type
of sizers that minimise the generation
of fines.
The calciner project, which is the
third won by FLSmidth Minerals in India
over the past four years, is due to be
completed in late 2010.
Gulf states expand
cement capacity
For many years cement producers in
the states around the Persian Gulf have
been investing in new production capacity and the past seven months have
seen a continuation of this trend both at
home and abroad.
Kuwait Cement Company KSC
has decided to expand its existing plant
in Shuaiba Kuwait, a port just outside
Kuwait City. FLSmidth has been entrusted with engineering services and
machinery supplies for the expansion
project.
The scope of supply includes two
TUMS raw mills, a CF silo, a 2-support
kiln including a 6-stage ILC preheater
and a Multi-Movable Cross-Bar cooler
and an ATOX coal mill. In addition,
FLSmidth Group companies will be providing dosing equipment, filters, control
and automation systems and a complete
electrical package.
Dubai-based ETA Star International LLC in the United Arab Emirates has
awarded a contract covering machinery
and equipment for a new 4,200 tonnes
per day production line. The new greenfield plant will be built in Chindonga in
the Kwansa Sul province in Angola and
marks a continuation of the current collaboration between FLSmidth and ETA
Star International regarding a project in
the United Arab Emirates.
FLSmidth is to supply all machinery
for the new plant including three crushers, a raw material store, an ATOX raw
mill, a three-support kiln with five-stage
ILC preheater and SF Cross-Bar cooler,
two UMS cement mills and a complete,
four-line FLSmidth Ventomatic packing
plant. The scope of the contract also
includes an FLSmidth Automation QCX/
Robolab quality control system and ECS
process control system, an electrical
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The most advanced pyro-processing
technology available will replace three
existing wet-process kilns at Ash Grove
Cement Company’s Foreman plant in
Arkansas, USA. The equipment package
to be supplied by FLSmidth for this part
of the modernisation and expansion
project comprises a ROTAX-2 kiln, an
SLC-D 5-stage preheater with low NOx
calciner and a Multi-Movable Cross-Bar
cooler. The new technology will enable
the Foreman plant to reduce fuel consumption by some 50% and minimise
emissions whilst increasing production
capacity by 70%.
New grinding technologies in the
form of an FRM raw mill, an ATOX coal
mill and an OK finish grinding mill will
ensure high operational reliability and
significant energy savings. Other parts
of the ambitious modernisation project
include process and nuisance dust collectors, pulverised fuel weighfeeders,
gear units, gas analysis systems, Expert
Control and Supervision and quality control systems. New raw material
stacking and reclaiming equipment is
also included in the contract as is training of staff, project management and
commissioning of the plant. With a preliminary engineering and supply contract
signed and performed already in 2006,
the project is well under way and commissioning is scheduled for late 2009.
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State-of-the-art in
mature markets
A state-of-the-art material handling
system is to be supplied to a new coalfired power plant near Hamburg,
in northern Germany. FLSmidth MVT
KOCH has been awarded the contract to
supply two grab shipunloaders for coal
and one combined shiploader for FGD
gypsum, dry ash and wet ash. Mechanical, electrical and structural supplies for
the three machines are also included as
is FLSmidth Möller pneumatic ash handling equipment. The German power
generating industry is in the process
of replacing old nuclear and coal-fired
power plants with modern and more
environmentally friendly systems. With
its newly developed comprehensive
systems capability FLSmidth Minerals is
well-placed to take on an important role
in this growing market.
Another significant example of
FLSmidth’s efforts to develop and implement sustainable and environmentally
compatible industrial systems is the first
major supply order awarded to our
ORD
package and FLSmidth Airtech fabric
filters.
FLSmidth is happy to continue the
successful customer relations in the Gulf
states and to be back in Angola which in
the 1960s was an important market for
the company.
AL
CE
M
ND M
IN
T A
ER
EN
E
TH
S
AR
newly formed Alternative Fuels department. Finnsementti, a Finnish cement
producer, has ordered a total solution
for using alternative fuels at its Lappeenranta plant. The solution comprises
handling and feeding equipment for
alternative fuels as well as a chloride
bypass.
Alternative fuel technology is becoming a more integrated part of cement plants. FLSmidth develops and
supplies specific equipment and/or
complete projects, giving cement and
mineral producers the ability to use
alternative fuel in pyroprocessing installations. The range of services offered
covers everything from consultancy to
complete solutions.
Finnsementti has ordered a total
alternative fuel solution for its
Lappeenranta plant in Finland.
Highlights November 2008
ND
T A
11
OUND
Buxton upgrades production
to 3000 tpd
The Buxton Cement Plant started
production in 2004. Originally
guaranteed for a throughput of
2300 tonnes per day (tpd), by
mid 2006 the plant had consistently produced up to 2600 tpd or
higher. After a comprehensive
and systematic upgrading effort
the plant will soon be producing
3000 tpd.
The Buxton Cement plant is unique in
several ways. It is situated at the bottom
of a quarry adjacent to the Peak District,
Britain’s first national park and an area
of outstanding natural beauty.
The plant is owned by Tarmac
Buxton Lime and Cement, which also
operates Europe’s largest limestone
quarry and processing facility for burnt
and slaked lime. The washing of the
quarried limestone generates large
amounts of clay slurry that is recycled
into cement production as one of the
main raw material components.
FLSmidth originally provided all the
mechanical and electrical equipment for
12
Highlights November 2008
the plant which was commissioned in
2004. The contract also included supervision of erection and commissioning
plus training of personnel.
Around mid 2006, Tarmac BL&C
and FLSmidth discussed the potential for
uprating clinker production to 3000 tpd.
Since the plant was already operating way above guaranteed capacity,
it was to be expected that significant
equipment changes were required to
achieve the increased capacity.
scope for changing day-to-day operations.
The proposed upgrading of the plant
represents an increase of nearly 30%
on the original guaranteed capacity. The
limitations to a further boost in clinker
production lie primarily in the scope
for increased draft and increased clinker
cooling capacity.”
The process specialist’s findings provided a basis for the subsequent plant
modifications.
Upgraded by nearly 30%
As an initial step, FLSmidth sent a senior
process specialist to Buxton to analyse
the operations of the plant before making specific proposals for how to upgrade the plant.
His main conclusions were: “The
Buxton cement plant is a very complex
installation comprising a lot of interdependent machinery. However, individually the various departments have
unused capacity. Besides, new high temperature bags were recently installed in
the main bag filter, which allows more
Preheater and calciner
Based on the measurements and tests
undertaken in July 2006, it was concluded that the desired increase in output
could be achieved without modifying
the existing cyclones. An acceptable
pressure drop across the tower could
still be maintained. However, to achieve
this it was necessary to upgrade the kiln
ID fan.
It was decided to install a new ID
fan alongside the existing one, ready
to be connected up during the plant
shutdown.
CEMENT
Rotax-2 kiln
Equipped with 2 x 160 kW motors and
with a potential maximum speed of
5 rpm, the kiln drive was considered big
enough to handle 3000 tpd. Increasing
the maximum kiln speed from the existing level of 4 rpm to the present 5 rpm
was achieved by changing the installation software.
Atox coal mill
Taking into account the intended increase in use of secondary kiln fuel (tyre
chips, bone meal, etc.) the existing coal
mill installation was expected to have
sufficient capacity for the proposed upgrade of production.
The coal mill has a run factor of
75% and sufficient run time is available
- even if the coal has to be ground finer
for the calciner.
Extending the SF Cross-Bar Cooler
The cooler department was considered
the major obstacle to the desired increase
in production. Clinker temperatures were
already too high for satisfactory operation of the plant and it was unrealistic
to raise production to 3000 tpd without
significant modifications to the cooler.
It was decided to extend the length
of the cooler by one module (approx.
4200 mm) and the width by three modules, whilst adding another cooling fan
and upgrading the existing inlet fan.
Although increasing the size of the
cooler was a relatively simple task in
itself, to do so within the constraints
of the Buxton plant was a challenge
because of the filter dust return system
and the large number of cables running
below the cooler.
New Duoflex G2 multi
channel burner
To provide sufficient combustion energy
for the kiln and to allow the burning of
multiple fuels (including coal, petcoke,
bone meal, refuse-derived fuel and
liquid waste) a new Duoflex G2 multi
channel burner was installed. The new
design makes the Buxton plant even
more flexible when using alternative
fuels and facilitates maintenance.
Finalising the upgrading projet
on target
The bulk of the upgrading project took
place in April 2008, and the new burner
was lit up at the beginning of May. After
some adjustments, the plant will be able
to run consistently at 3000 tpd. Further
process optimisation is taking place until
November to realise this output.
Highlights November 2008
13
Welcome to the green world
of FLSmidth
Taking care of our
northern heritage
From his office window, Hans Petter
Skjellnes, has a stunning view of the
Tysfjord, Norway’s second-deepest fjord
with a maximum depth of 897 m.
Tysfjord’s most dominant mountain,
Stetind, is famous in Norway and
dominates the dramatic horizon. The
NORCEM plant, at which he is acting
production manager, is the northernmost cement plant in the world.
With its spectacular scenery, tourism
is also extremely important to the area.
“We get fishermen, hikers, mountaineers and hunters from all over the world
coming here to enjoy this unique place.
That’s why it’s so important that we do
all we can to reduce our environmental
impact here at the plant.”
This was the main reason why
FLSmidth was commissioned to install
their first HOTDISC reactor at the plant
in Kjøpsvik back in 2002. It has been in
continuous operation ever since.
In December 2009, Denmark will be
hosting the United Nations Climate
Change Conference. This event will see
the final negotiations of a new international climate agreement – replacing the
Kyoto Protocol.
FLSmidth is also addressing the issues of climate change and sustainability
in industry. We are constantly developing solutions for a better environment.
Our ambition is to demonstrate that the
cement industry can operate profitably
with technologies that lower emissions
and save resources.
We are highlighting this ambition
through a series of advertisements in
industry publications which show environmental technologies in action at various plants. These are concrete examples
of plants that have opted for innovative
solutions where industry works in harmony with nature.
The HOTDISC system has enabled
NORCEM at Kjøpsvik to efficiently burn
waste materials such as tyres, plastic and
wood chips in an environmentally safe
way, whilst saving some 40% in overall
fossil fuel consumption
“We collect used tyres from the
northern part of Norway and shred
them locally before feeding them into
the HOTDISC,” Hans Petter says. “There
are no RDF - Residue Derived Fuels available in Norway to supply Kjøpsvik at
the moment, but we’re currently working on a development project. For the
present we’re importing RDF from Holland,” he explains.
On an annual basis the NORCEM
plant produces 518,000 tonnes of
clinker and 470,000 tonnes of cement.
It burns 8000 – 10,000 tonnes of used
tyres per year, replacing 40-60% of the
calciner fuel. Since the introduction of
the HOTDISC, emissions of NOx have
dropped by about 15%, and there has
been no negative impact on the clinker
quality or kiln availability.
Installing a high-efficiency
system from FLSmidth?
Installing a high-efficiency
system from FLSmidth?
The view of the green surroundings of Buxton, UK
The view over Tysfjord from the Norcem plant in Kjøpsvik, Norway.
It’s a good start...
It’s a good start...
The Kjøpsvik plant shown here was the first in the world
to install HOTDISC combustion. FLSmidth supplies complete
alternative fuel solutions that let cement and mineral producers
use up to 100% waste-derived and biomass fuel in their
pyroprocessing installations - without sacrificing production
capacity or the quality of their product.
Tarmac’s Buxton cement plant recently installed the
next-generation Duoflex G2 Burner. The unique design
has improved the burner, making it even more flexible
when using waste-derived fuel. Using waste-derived fuel
reduces the need for fossil fuel and makes beneficial use
of materials which would otherwise be sent to landfill.
Find out more at www.flsmidth.com
Find out more at www.flsmidth.com
53289_FLSmidth_Ad_A4_may2008.indd 1
Norcem Cement Plant in Kjøpsvik, Norway.
14
Highlights November 2008
5/21/08 3:07:35 PM
Tarmac’s Buxton Cement Plant, Buxton, UK.
CEMENT
The next generation Duoflex
burner is here
FLSmidth has launched the Duoflex G2
burner which is an improved version of
the original Duoflex burner.
The first Duoflex was introduced to
the market back in the mid 90’s and
has been a very successful product with
more than 300 sold worldwide. The
burner fires rotary kilns with pulverised
coal or petcoke, oil, natural gas or any
mixture of these fuels, along with the
full complement of alternative fuels. It
has a central duct for gaseous, liquid
and alternative fuels placed inside an
annular coal / petcoke duct which is surrounded by two concentric ducts that
form two primary air channels, one for
radial air and one for axial air. The two
air flows are mixed before being injected
via the conical air nozzle. The two outer
ducts form a very rigid supporting structure which minimises deflection of the
burner pipe and ensures long refractory
life. The primary air is supplied by a high
pressure fan and the burner nozzle is
adjustable which offers a wide scope of
shaping the flame.
The fundamental design and functionality of the Duoflex G2 burner remain the same as the original version,
but there have been various updates to
the new one. These unique design elements have improved the burner, making it easier to maintain and even more
flexible when using alternative fuel.
The key features of the Duoflex G2 are
a replaceable high-pressure central duct
nozzle, an inclined nozzle for alternative
fuel, an automatic air nozzle centring
device and temperature measurement
for early detection of refractory failure.
There are also a number of optional
features, most notably the completely replaceable outer tip pipe and refractory.
Tarmac’s Buxton Cement plant in
the UK has installed the new Duoflex
G2 burner which replaced the originally
supplied Duoflex burner. It started up in
the spring of 2008 (see pages 12 - 13).
The Duoflex G2 is now the standard
burner for all new FLSmidth projects.
Highlights November 2008
15
Best available technique for
secondary NOx reduction
Ammonia reagent storage tank installed as
part of an SNCR NOx reduction system.
100
90
80
% NO
NOxX Reduction
%
Reduction
Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction
(SNCR) is attracting growing interest in
the cement industry. With the increasingly stringent emission limits, primary
NOx reduction through equipment
selection, process design and operating
techniques is no longer sufficient in all
cases. Besides, the use of waste-derived
fuels and demands for energy efficiency
are growing.
To address these trends FLSmidth
has developed an SNCR concept which
features high operating efficiency and
negligible emission of by-products. The
system can be customised for most dryprocess kilns and is suitable for both
existing and new cement plant installations.
An SNCR system reduces nitrogen
oxides (NOx) by means of an aqueous
ammonia solution and without the use
of a catalyst. According to the European
Union guidelines for fossil-fired plants
it is the best available technique for
secondary NOx reduction in the cement
and lime manufacturing industries.
FLSmidth has sold a number of
SNCR systems and now offers the cement industry a fully-fledged product
including all the necessary components
and controls. A couple of systems based
on FLSmidth’s newly developed concept
have already been commissioned, and
very soon we will be busy installing and
integrating SNCR systems at major plant
projects, notably in and around Europe.
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
00
0.5
0.5
1
1
1.5
1.5
NH33 // NOx
ratio
NH
NOXMolar
Molar
ratio
Typical range of SNCR operating efficiency.
Typical range of SNCR operating efficiency
16
Highlights November 2008
2
2
World’s largest FGD horizontal belt
filter for German power plant
FLSmidth Dorr-Oliver Eimco recently
delivered two very large belt filters for
the processing of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) slurry at a power plant in
Germany. The filters, each weighing
about 26 tonnes, were assembled at a
workshop near Frankfurt and hauled by
truck overnight to the power plant site
near Cologne. Each filter assembly shipping envelope measured 35.2 metres
long and 4.8 metres wide and required
a full day and a 160 tonne mobile crane
to load on to flatbed trailers. Before they
left the fabrication site, several trees,
fences and road signs had to be moved
to make room for the demanding transport operation.
Each filter is designed to process
115 m3/h of FGD gypsum slurry containing 82 t/h of gypsum solids. On passing
a filtration area of 93 m2, the gypsum
slurry is dewatered from 50% to 90%
solids and at the same time washed
from 30,000 ppm to 100 ppm chloride.
The filters were successfully installed
at the 2 x 1100 MW lignite-fired power
plant in June 2008, and FLSmidth
Dorr-Oliver Eimco will finally check the
equipment when the plant is commissioned in late 2009.
A wide range of applications
Horizontal belt filters (HBF) are used
for numerous types of slurry, including
fibrous materials, fine slimes and coarse
granular solids. Since the direction of
filtration is with the force of gravity, belt
filters are superior to other vacuum filters when handling coarse solids.
Whenever high washing efficiency
or recovery rates are required, HBFs are
advantageous because the number of
washing steps is not limited like with
rotating filters.
MINERALS
Typical HBF applications:
• FGD gypsum washing and
dewatering
• Phosphoric acid washing and
dewatering
• Multi-step washing applications
in many hydrometallurgical
applications such as uranium,
gold, copper, lead leaching
• Coal dewatering
• Sand dewatering
• Organic acid production (citric,
tartaric acid, etc.)
• Chemical products with high
recovery requirements.
Assembling the horizontal
belt filter in the workshop.
The 35.2 m long and 4.8 metre wide filter assemblies were transported to the power plant overnight.
Highlights November 2008
17
TITAN Cement converts electrostatic
prepitator to hybrid filter
For about 30 years, the electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) had effectively and reliably served the
TITAN Group’s Kamari plant in
Greece. To comply with increasingly stringent emission standards and address the challenges
of rubber tyre firing, the existing
ESP technology had to be either
upgraded, replaced by a fabric
filter (FF) or converted to a hybrid
filter. TITAN and FLSmidth Airtech
decided on the latter as the most
cost-effective option for improving environmental performance.
Hybrid filters
In a hybrid filter, the ESP collects most
of the dust including the large particles,
and the fabric filter removes the fine
particles. The hybrid filter ensures optimum cleaning efficiency at all times. It is
also cheaper to install than a new fabric
filter and has lower operating costs.
Since 1997, FLSmidth Airtech has supplied more than 20 hybrid filters for
kilns, coolers, mills (cement and coal
mills) and by-pass applications.
Things to consider when converting from ESP to hybrid filter
Several strategies may be adopted for
upgrading particulate control. The optimum solution takes into account all the
requirements of the plant in question.
The two elements in a hybrid filter, the
ESP and the FF, each have their advantages and limitations as shown in the
table on page 20.
Convert to hybrid or install
new FF?
Choosing a hybrid filter instead of an
ESP or fabric filter offers several advantages – not only from an emission point
of view, but also when considering the
capital investment and the operating
costs.
1) Emission performance:
a.Emissions from a hybrid filter are
generally lower compared to a
non-converted ESP
b.The hybrid filter is a barrier filter*)
that is active even when the ESP is
de-energised.
2) Capital investment:
a.Lower investment compared to new
fabric filter, because
i. Filter casing and structure, dust
handling, control system etc. can
be reused
ii. Higher A/C reduces number of
bags, cages etc.
3) Operating costs (normal
operation)
a.Approximately 99% is separated in
the ESP section, which minimises the
cleaning requirement in the FF part
and reduces the consumption of
compressed air.
b.The total power consumption of the
ESP rectifier set and the FF fan is normally lower than that of the fan for a
conventional fabric filter which has to
handle the total dust load.
Issues to consider
When converting to hybrid filter
technology, certain issues need to be
considered.
Normally, modern fabric filters serving kiln and raw mills incorporate online maintenance (for example changing
of bags) which can take place without
disturbing the main process. Converting
to hybrid filter technology will normally
require off-line maintenance as it is difficult to integrate compartments with
inlet dampers.
*) Barrier filter means total protection against
particulate contaminants in the emission.
Outline drawing of ESP and FF sections in a hybrid filter
which is placed within the original ESP casing.
18
Highlights November 2008
CEMENT
If the ESP cleaning efficiency drops, the
bags in the FF section will ensure that
emissions from the hybrid filter do not
increase, but the bags will then have to
be cleaned at shorter intervals. The test
results and the simulation below demonstrate the hybrid effect.
The estimated differential pressure
across the filter bags should also be
considered. Especially the compressor
capacity for cleaning the filter bags and
the ID fan should be examined in detail.
A thorough computational fluid dynamics (CFD) survey is always undertaken to
ensure that the gas flow patterns in the
new filter are under control.
Converting TITAN Kamari’s
ESP at kiln line 2
TITAN Kamari’s existing raw mill filter
was an ESP supplied by FLSmidth in
1977. Initially, TITAN was interested in
replacing the ESP with a new fabric filter. However, to minimise downtime of
Performance of hybrid filter serving a cement mill
the cement kiln and due to space limitations, the only realistic option was to
convert the ESP to a hybrid filter. The
whole operation took three weeks.
Other ESP’s have been converted within
two weeks only, but the conversion period varies from plant to plant depending
on local conditions.
At Kamari, it was decided to use
8 metre long dia. 127 mm bags. It was
necessary to extend the old ESP casing to make the fabric filter area large
enough for an A/C ~1.3 m/min. The
extension did not require additional load
points in the concrete structure.
The bags are fitted in seven top
boxes each with an outlet damper (see
photo on page 20). The purpose of the
damper is to provide an option for offline cleaning and, most importantly,
enable semi on-line maintenance. This
means that if a filter bag fails, the compartment affected can be sealed off and
the problem dealt with during a planned
shutdown.
Test results from the cement mill 5 hybrid filter
at Aalborg Portland.
Simulation of the hybrid effect at a set
differential pressure of 600 Pa across the
cement mill 5 hybrid filter at Aalborg Portland.
View from the end of the new hybrid filter at TITAN
Kamari after conversion of the original ESP.
Highlights November 2008
19
TITAN Cement converts electrostatic
prepitator to hybrid filter
Performance data
The hybrid filter at TITAN’s Kamari plant
has now been in operation for about 18
months. Its operating characteristics are
as follows:
• Flow: 620,000 m3/h, combined mode,
coal mill out
• Temperature: 118 degrees C
• Emission: <10 mg/Nm3
• Pressure drop flange to flange:
80-85 mm WG
ESP part
• Voltage: 34 kV
• Current: 170 mA
ESP at TITAN Kamari during conversion. New fabric filter section in the foreground with the old first section of
the ESP behind. One of the seven individual outlet ducts with damper can also be seen.
FF part
• Filtration area: 7,239 m2
• Cleaning pressure: 2½ bar g.
Parameter
Pressure drop [mmWG] (typical)
Lower capital investment and
lower operating costs
Compared to a new fabric filter, the
new hybrid filter including duct, fan,
stack and installation cost 1 million
euro less in initial investment. This estimate was done by TITAN who, parallel
with the hybrid filter project, installed
a new fabric filter to serve kiln/raw mill
line 1.
A comparison between the operating costs of a new fabric filter and a
hybrid filter shows the following results:
Emission levels [mg/Nm3, wet]
Emission sensitivity to process
variations
Temperature resistance
Total: 342 kW
Hybrid filter:
ESP part: 34kV/170 mA x 1.2 = 69.4 kW
FF part 80 mm WG/400,000Nm3/h/118°C= 166 kW
Compressor: 75 m3/h @ 2½ bar g ~ 7.5 kW
Total: 243 kW
20
Highlights November 2008
Conventional: 150
25
Hybrid: 75
Typical: 5-20
Sized to match
Possible: < 5
Possible (at a cost): 5
Low
Medium to high
Depends on bags:
Up to 400°C
Max: 240-260°C
Low
Fire damage risk
High
Low
Barrier filter
Yes
No
High, on-line possible
Low, only off-line
Maintainability
High
Bags: varies 4-5 years
Service interval
Fan power: 150 mmWG/400,000Nm /h/118°C = 312 kW.
Compressor: 295 m3/h @ 2½ bar g~ 30 kW
ESP
Explosion risk
New fabric filter:
3
Fabric filter
Cages: 2 sets of bags
4 years typically
In hybrids up to 8-10 years
This comparison shows that choosing
a hybrid filter results in a ~40 % power
saving. So both from a capital investment point of view and when considering the operating costs, the hybrid filter
proved a wise choice at TITAN Kamari.
FLSmidth acquires
world leading pressure
filter technology
The automatic pressure filter business
of Pneumapress Inc. is now part of
FLSmidth Minerals’ comprehensive
range of product and systems offerings.
This unique filter technology applies
pressurised air and gases instead of the
more conventional vacuum and mechanical pressures. It can often reduce
moisture to near 0” and in many cases
eliminates costly dryer installations. The
technology has potential applications in
nearly every flowsheet where filtration is
required.
MINERALS
Pneumapress is headquartered and has
assembly and testing facilities in California, USA. It designs, manufactures,
markets and services a broad range of
automatic pressure filters. Over the years
the innovative company has grown to
become a world leader in pressure filtration and drying. Its state-of-the-art
multi-module tower press is now widely
used for mineral slurries and, more specifically, in iron ore applications where
the filter is considered the industry
standard.
Metallurgical testing laboratory
joins FLSmidth Group
FLSmidth has acquired Dawson Metallurgical Laboratories, an independent
provider of ore testing and process services based in Salt Lake City, USA. The
acquisition supports FLSmidth Minerals’
“One Source – One Partner” brand by
expanding the Group’s process technology base and providing increased test-
ing and in-plant consultation services to
the industry.
Since 1977, Dawson Metallurgical
Laboratories has offered a wide range
of services and process expertise to the
base metal, precious metal and industrial minerals markets. With a staff of
qualified metallurgists and technicians,
Dawson’s testing and laboratory capabilities perfectly complement FLSmidth
Mineral’s broad range of systems,
equipment and aftermarket services.
As a member of the global FLSmidth
Group, Dawson will in future be operating under the name FLSmidth Dawson.
Minerals plant designer enters Group
Effective 1 October, FLSmidth has acquired the engineering assets of US-based
CEntry, a leading designer of greenfield
industrial plants, expansions, upgrades
and specialised maintenance packages for
the mining and industrial sectors.
CEntry’s multi-discipline technical staff
will support FLSmidth in providing integrated solutions for many types of production in the minerals processing industry. The overall goal is to reduce lead
time for project implementation. The
technical resources from CEntry support
nearly every flow sheet where FLSmidth
Minerals has proprietary technologies.
The company, which is based in
Utah, will in future trade under the
name of FLSmidth CEntry.
Highlights April 2008
21
Robots boost sample analysis throughput
With the demand for minerals constantly on the increase,
companies are looking wherever
they can for new sources – and
sample analysis facilities are
being stretched to the limit.
FLSmidth Automation can now
promise faster throughput and
higher accuracy.
In a lab in Perth, Australia, a bank of
machinery hides an area of intense
activity. Three square, inter-connected
robotic cells buzz – and inside each cell,
a single-arm robot whizzes with quiet
efficiency. At one end, a technician
places ore samples into one of the cells.
And at the other, small beads of glass
are analysed by x-ray to determine the
all important mineral content.
The commercial QCX sample analysis lab is run by Australian minerals services company SGS. Fully automated,
it’s a one-of-a-kind lab put together by
sampling and testing experts ESSA Australia Limited and FLSmidth Automation.
With more than 20 years’ experience
designing control and analysis systems
– mainly for cement plants – FLSmidth
is well-qualified to automate the minerals sampling process. Jens Ole Grejs
Petersen, Project Manager at FLSmidth
Automation, comments, “The lab is
completely new, but we have experience with software for similar processes
– both in cement and minerals plants.
ESSA did a great job of designing most
of the equipment, and then we designed some equipment and configured
the software and interfaces.”
22
Highlights November 2008
Efficient, mistake-free
sample analysis
The main advantage of the automated
system is simple: efficiency. Large robots
measure and move precise amounts of
the sample, and every step is run with reduced waiting time and without human
error. This means more samples processed per day. “The robots offer unprecedented precision,” says Jens Ole. “They
repeat the same action millions of times
and always to the same level of accuracy.
The lab analyses up to 800 samples per
line per day, and SGS has two lines.
To ensure quality, the software is
fully integrated into SGS’s Laboratory
Information Management and Quality Assurance systems. The entire lab is
programmed to auto-test itself, and it’s
even self-cleaning: whenever a sample
touches a bowl, vial, crucible or cup,
these are automatically cleaned to ensure there is no contamination between
samples.
The final results for each sample are
delivered as an XML file, but according
to Jens Ole, other reporting systems are
possible. “Whatever the interface for
the report, the customer gets all the
data they need for certification.”
It took just three months to install
the analysis facility. And with this project
under their belts, ESSA and FLSmidth
Automation can create similar labs very
quickly. Says Jens Ole, “Any new line
will be adapted to the customer, but
we now have the basics for a smooth
project. This is good news for us and
our customers, because two more companies have recently placed orders for
similar lines.”
How automated sample
analysis works
The key to automated improvements
is not to change the process – but to
make the process more efficient. In
each cell, a robot with a unique gripper moves the samples around, ensuring each one is transported at exactly
the right moment – drastically cutting
the waiting time between each step.
Cell 1: Modular Sample Preparation
Samples ranging from 1.5-10kg are
put in by hand. They are then crushed
down to pea-sized balls and ground
down to 100 micron particles. The
crushing and grinding equipment
is automatically cleaned after each
sample, to ensure there is no crosscontamination.
Cell 2: Sample Distribution Cell
A splitter takes a representative sample and a back-up sample (stored for
future reference). The representative
sample is transferred to a furnace and
heated to approximately 271°C. The
representative sample is transferred
for thermogravimetric analysis, while
the other portion is moved onto the
fusion cell.
Cell 3: Dosing and Fusion Cell
A dosing and crucible cleaning machine (DCC) prepares a very precise
sample and mixes it with flux in a
platinum crucible. The new mixture is
heated for nine minutes in a furnace
at 1,000°C. Now liquid, the mixture is
poured into a platinum mould.
The X-ray
When cooled the mixture turns into
a glass bead and is x-rayed. The x-ray
checks for up to 11 different elements.
MINERALS
Highlights November 2008
23
Following in the giants’ footsteps
Surrounded by the Andes Mountains at 3000 metres above sea
level in an area bearing the
footprints of its gigantic ancestors, Bolivia’s FANCESA cement
company is upgrading production and contributing to regional
development. FLSmidth recently
finished a modernisation project
that increased the daily throughput to 2,000 tonnes.
In the night of 27 March 1948, the city
of Sucre in south-central Bolivia was hit
by a violent earthquake that seriously
damaged buildings, homes and institutions. It was assessed that rebuilding
the city would cost in excess of 300
million Bolivianos. The nation’s financial
resources were not sufficient to cover
this enormous investment, so alternative
means of income had to be found.
The government imposed a surtax
on sale of foreign currency and the
proceeds went into a fund that was to
provide relief and finance reconstruction. Some of the resources were to be
invested in a production company that
would contribute to the reconstruction
effort, whilst generating income for the
city and the region.
A joint venture was formed by the
University, the city of Sucre and the
Bolivian Development Corporation to
establish a cement manufacturing plant,
which was eventually incorporated under the name of Fábrica Nacional de
Cemento S.A. (FANCESA). Expert studies
of the area showed that the best place
to build the new plant was Cal-Orcko
near Sucre. FANCESA became a principal player in the reconstruction and
development of the region.
Mr Wilmer Astete, FANCESA’s General Manager,
is very optimistic about the future prospects of
the upgraded cement plant.
24
Highlights November 2008
Upgrading the plant in stages
In the early nineties, the regional cement
market was booming and FANCESA
decided to launch an expansion and
modernisation programme named
‘V Ampliacion’, which was divided into
several stages.
The scope of the first stage, completed in 2001, comprises a new ATOX
vertical raw mill and replacement of the
old rotary cooler with a modern SF
Cross-Bar cooler, the first to be installed in South America. Besides, the
bulk cement dispatch station was upgraded to 30 tonnes per hour and the
raw mill was converted into a cement
mill, boosting cement production to
≈ 632,000 tpy.
The second stage, recently completed, consists of a new kiln feed system,
an SCL preheater string, a by-pass filter,
a new kiln drive and various improve
CEMENT
ments that together have increased
clinker production to 2,000 tpd.
The next stage will be to further increase cement grinding capacity.
Future prospects are promising
Over the past couple of decades the
company’s sales and earnings have
grown steadily at the rate of 10 per
cent per year. The next couple of years
are expected to see a similar increase in
cement consumption from the current
level of 200 kg per capita per year. This
growth in earnings and production will
primarily benefit the region of
Chuquisaca where the plant is situated.
Footprints of history
When the experts decided to build the
plant near the Cal Orcko limestone
reserves they were unaware that other
living beings took a similar decision
some 65 to 85 million years ago. The
quarry was opened in an area of sloping limestone veins. As they were being
exploited some vertical, magnesiumrich vertical structures appeared, which
forced the excavation team to move
downwards in the limestone deposit.
In the nineteen eighties, during the continued quarrying operations, dinosaur
footprints began to appear, but initially
nobody paid attention to this discovery.
The Cretaceous Museum at FANCESA’s site
shows the discovery of 65 to 85 million year
old dinosaur footprints.
A Bolivian palaeontologist caught sight
of the extraordinary phenomenon and
in 1998 he succeeded in attracting
an international delegation of experts
headed by the Director of the Natural
History Museum of Basel to visit the site.
The paleontologists found that the
footprints were within an area of approximately 30,000 square metres.
About 3300 of the estimated total of
5000 footprints have been identified as
belonging to 330 different animals who
lived in the area between 65 and 85 million years ago. Today, a Cretaceous Museum has been built with support from
the Inter-American Development Bank
and advised by the Museum in Basel.
FANCESA contributed to the museum
project by ceding the land and covering
nearly 20 % of the initial cost.
The ‘farallón’ (rocky escarpment)
where the footprints are located is 90
metres high and 1500 metres long.
There is risk of it collapsing so action is
being taken to preserve the footprints.
An active contributor to
regional development
FANCESA continues to play a major role
in the development of the Chuquisaca
region. Not only is it an important provider of jobs, of much needed building
materials and of revenues for its local
investors. It also takes its corporate
social responsibility seriously. In addition to sponsoring some of the running
expenses of the Cretaceous Museum,
FANCESA is promoting many social initiatives, including various football teams
and cultural events.
Highlights November 2008
25
World-class cooling
Cross-bar coolers will soon be
helping the world’s three largest
production plants push cement
production past 12,000 tonnes
per day (tpd).
Since the first rotary kiln more than a
hundred years ago, the world’s hunger for cement has driven demand for
increasingly larger kiln systems. In the
1990s, kiln systems were limited to
10,000 tpd, but now plants are being
constructed with capacities of 12,000
to 13,000 tpd – and FLSmidth’s crossbar coolers are supplying the necessary
cooler capacity.
Unique cooler solutions
First introduced in 1998, the Cross-Bar
cooler uses fixed grates, mechanical air
flow regulators and cross-bars to move
clinker through the cooler. And its proven reliability makes it the machine of
choice for record-breaking cement lines
– including the world’s three largest.
Holcim: the Ste. Genevieve
project (12,000 tpd)
The first production line to make four
million tonnes of cement a year, the
Ste. Genevieve plant uses a single pyroprocess system and the latest generation
Multi-Movable Cross-Bar Cooler (MMC)
from FLSmidth. And it’s easy to see why.
As one of Holcim’s plant managers says,
“For us, safety and reliability is important. A project of this magnitude leaves
no room for experiments when selecting
the technical solutions.”
26
Highlights November 2008
Holcim’s Ste. Genevieve project.
ACC Wadi: the world’s biggest cement production line (13,000 tpd)
Phase I of the ACC Wadi plant project
was finished six years ago (see page 3)
– and ACC originally planned to extend
the COOLAX grate cooler when constructing phase II. But modern cross-bar
coolers offer advantages that ACC did
not want to pass up. So, as the plant
is extended, the existing cooler will be
replaced by a new 6x8 SF Cross-Bar
Cooler.
Tianrui Group Cement Co.:
China (12,000 tpd)
The first two cross-bar coolers were ordered in China in 2005 – and successful
performance has since led the Chinese
cement industry to order several more.
In March 2008, FLSmidth received an
order for China’s biggest cooler so far.
Tianrui Group Cement’s new SF CrossBar Cooler with 6x8 modules and a fixed
inlet will match ACC Wadi’s cooler in
India for size.
Future projects
At FLSmidth, we are pleased to be helping these companies and others meet
the increasing demand for cement. And
with the Cross-Bar cooler’s proven reliability and large capacity, we hope to
be involved in more record-breaking
projects in the future.
It takes the heat – it takes the lead
World’s largest production
plants go for the Heavy-duty Roll
Breaker (HRB) from FLSmidth
Since the first Roll Breaker was released,
significant new features have been
added to the design. A major improvement is the more compact design, which
has significantly reduced the overall
weight compared with the previous HRB
version and lately a new design based
on modular frames has been launched.
Another improvement is the fact that
the entire machine can be pulled out,
facilitating servicing of the rollers and
replacement of their wear segments.
These improvements and the reliability
of the machine have made it the obvious choice when ordering a new cooler.
The finest acknowledgement
a machine can get
The HRB has been chosen by the largest
cement plants in the world. Both ACC
Wadi and Holcim have chosen the
HRB for their world record lines with
production capacities reaching 13,000
and 12,000 tpd, respectively.
Another expression of confidence
comes from the Chinese cement industry
World’s largest HRB with seven rollers for
ACC Wadi’s 13,000 tpd plant
which has now ordered several midcooler Roll Breakers after seeing the
HRB in operation. The first to install the
breaker in China were Pengzhou Cement and Ruichang Cement who have
both placed repeat orders for their next
lines.
Heavy-duty Roll Breaker
The Heavy-duty Roll Breaker is specially
designed for size reduction of hot clinker with temperatures ranging up to 550
degrees Celsius. This enables the roll
breaker to be placed either inside the
cooler as a mid-cooler breaker or at the
outlet end of the clinker cooler.
The HRB consists of a series of conveying and crushing rollers. The conveying rollers rotate in the same direction as
the flow of clinker and allow the clinker
fines to pass through the pre-defined
gaps. The voids between the roller
teeth are filled with clinker, and
as the rollers rotate the
particles are passed on to
the materials handling
system. Large
pieces or lumps
The new HRB MF of clinker are
Modular Frame
construction.
carried to the crushing
CEMENT
rollers where the oversize material is
reduced to the required dimensions by
two heavy-duty crusher rollers that rotate in opposite directions, thereby forcing the material down between them.
Modular Frame
construction – HRB MF
A new design is now available based on
a modular, bolted frame construction.
This facilitates shipment to the site and
enables the capacity of the roll breaker
to be upgraded in future by just adding
additional roll modules. The Modular
Frame is especially designed for installation at the outlet end of the cooler.
The first HRB in operation in China at Pengzhou Cement plant
(as a mid-cooler breaker)
Highlights November 2008
27
Overcoming side effects of alternative
fuels on pyro process
The use of alternative fuels to
cut energy costs and CO2 emissions commonly leads to greater
input of chlorine to the kiln system. A by-pass is therefore often
installed to maintain kiln system
availability. FLSmidth kiln gas
by-pass systems are well proven
technology and are installed in a
great number of kiln systems.
An FLSmidth by-pass is an integrated solution, which is based on prior in-depth
analysis. Recently, a new quench chamber design was launched to further optimise performance. All by-pass systems
also come with well proven FLSmidth
Airtech air pollution control systems.
By-pass principle
The main purpose of a by-pass is to stabilise kiln operation by removing chlorine from the system that might cause
build-ups and cyclone blockages. The
by-pass starts at a gas extraction point
which is located immediately after the
kiln gas outlet. This position has been
chosen because chlorine circulates in the
kiln system and will show a high gaseous concentration here. A small size bypass at this point allows a large amount
of chlorine to be extracted from the kiln
system. The size of the by-pass is often
defined as the percentage of kiln gases
to be extracted.
The extracted kiln gases containing
chlorine and kiln dust are quench cooled
by air to initiate condensation of the
chlorides and facilitate the subsequent
separation of chlorides from the gas.
This separation takes place in an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) or a baghouse
filter (BF). If this is considered a viable
solution, a conditioning tower may be
28
Highlights November 2008
introduced between the ESP/BF and the
quenching section to reduce the volume
of gases and thereby the size and cost of
the ESP/BF.
The gases from the ESP/BF are often
drawn by their own fan to a common
stack. The separated dust is high in
chlorine content and may be reused in
the cement plant, disposed of or used in
other industries. When reusing by-pass
dust in the cement plant, care should be
taken to ensure that the cement standards are met.
Impact on the process
Besides providing more stable kiln operation, a by-pass system inherently alleviates the preheater of process gas
and thereby reduces the load on the ID
fan. In some cases, this may translate
Computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) illustration of the stream lines.
Red: hot gases from the kiln.
Blue: cold air. Green: quench-cooled
gases.
into a higher throughput. Bypass operation generally raises the overall specific
heat consumption of the pyro process
by some 1.5-2.0 kcal/kg clinker per percentage point of bypass. There is also
the risk that especially CO and SO2 may
be emitted with the by-pass gases unless
the process is appropriately designed.
Designed to meet specific
requirements
FLSmidth kiln gas by-pass systems come
in different technical configurations
that ensure a stable process when using alternative fuels. The exact technical
configuration depends mainly on operational feasibility and cost considerations.
FLSmidth therefore always performs a
thorough analysis of the pyro system before supplying a kiln gas by-pass system.
CEMENT
Largest OK cement mill
now on stream
DG Khan Cement’s Multan plant in
Pakistan recently commissioned
FLSmidth’s first OK 39.4 vertical cement
mill. The hot start took place on 21
September 2008, and the next day the
mill was successfully up and running at
its normal production rate, 232 tonnes
per hour (tph).
In addition to supplying the mill
itself, FLSmidth was also responsible
for integrating the record-size OK into
the existing plant so that the customer
would have full flexibility in transporting clinker from two kiln lines and on
to various cement silos. The scope of
the project included civil design and
upgrading of an SF Cross-Bar cooler to
lower the temperature of the clinker discharged onto the belt conveyors.
Boosting capacity and
reducing costs
Back in 2006, DG Khan Cement had
two major reasons for ordering a new
huge cement mill. One was lack of
grinding capacity and the other was the
need to reduce energy costs. The Multan plant has two kiln lines, 4000 tpd
and 3000 tpd respectively, which were
upgraded some years ago. The new
vertical mill was to serve both kilns and
replace the existing ball mills.
The contract became effective in
September 2006 and commissioning
took place in August 2008, comfortably
within the 24 month time frame originally foreseen.
The new cement mill means a very
tangible reduction in energy costs.
Whereas the old ball mills consumed 40
kWh per tonne cement produced, the
new vertical mill requires 25 kWh per
tonne. At the current production rate
and price levels in Pakistan, this translates into annual cost savings of more
than 3 million USD.
With the new cement grinding installation in place, DG Khan is defending
its position as the technology leader and
most efficient producer in Pakistan’s cement industry.
Highlights November 2008
29
ABON 13/300CCTD primary sizer and
8/350CCQD secondary sizer installed at
Rio Tinto’s Yandi site in Western Australia.
November 2008 will mark the
tenth anniversary of FLSmidth
ABON (formerly ABON Engineering) joining the FLSmidth Group.
Originally an equipment supplier
to the Australian coal, bauxite
and minerals market, FLSmidth
ABON continues to expand its
product applications globally.
And the cement industry is taking notice.
FLSmidth ABON has a long, strong history as a manufacturer of capital crushing, sizing and screening equipment for
large-scale mining houses such as Anglo,
Billiton, CVRD, Rio Tinto, Shell and Xstrata. The company’s product range, which
includes low-speed sizers, rollerscreens
and feeder systems, was originally marketed for high-tonnage size reductions
in minerals applications such as coal,
bauxite and gold, to name a few.
The world’s largest
low-speed sizer
One recent ABON success story in minerals involved iron ore crushing. ABON
low-speed sizers have been used at
the high-profile Pilbara installation (Rio
Tinto’s Hammersly Iron in Western Australia). With throughput rates of up to
4,400 tph and success meeting all
benchmarks for availability, wear life
and end-product control, the equipment
appears to be setting the industry standard in this vast region.
Also in Australia, Rio Tinto has asked
ABON to build what is believed to be the
world’s largest low-speed sizer for crushing overburden. Throughput rates for this
sizer should be up to 12,000 tph. Work
is underway, and the unit is due for commissioning in the first quarter of 2009.
FLSmidth ABON crushers
and sizers – for the cement
industry, too
FLSmidth ABON’s primary focus has
been on minerals applications, but its
installations and projects around the
world have been noticed by cement
groups such as Titan, Graymont and
Argos. Steve Bond, ABON Managing
Director, explains, “The eroding quality of the raw materials in the cement
industry calls for rigid machines, and
ABON’s sizers, crushers and rollerscreens
can be a solution to this problem.”In
the cement industry, ABON’s crushers
are becoming known as a smart alternative to high-speed communition and
hammer crushers.” Steve says, “Much
of the ABON equipment’s success and
high level of acceptance with the mining houses has been its high availability,
low maintenance costs, and small mechanical footprint over other traditional
crushing and screening equipment.
All these factors are also relevant to the
cement industry.”
Feeders, sizers and rollerscreens:
FLSmidth ABON equipment does the
job for minerals and cement
30
Highlights November 2008
MINERALS
ABON 16/350CCTD sizer – believed to be
the world’s largest sizer.
Insert: A look at the ABON RS10R300/32
rollerscreen from the inside.
Highlights November 2008
31
Vasavadatta comes back for more
Mr D. S. Bindra, President of Vasavadatta
Cement, here surrounded by FLSmidth site
personnel, has been active in the cement
industry for 38 years.
Vasavadatta was the first
cement plant in India to install
an FLSmidth Rotax-2 two-support
kiln and recently ordered one
more for its new line 4. This new
production line is making rapid
progress. The kiln is expected
to be fired up in December with
final commissioning due to take
place in the spring of 2009.
The new 3800 tonnes per day line will
supplement line 3 also supplied by
FLSmidth. Commissioned only two years
ago, line 3 was originally designed for
3800 tpd, but is expected to produce
4200 tpd with free lime content well below the guaranteed level of 1.5 percent.
A leading cement producer
Vasavadatta Cement, which is part of
the BK Birla Group, was founded in
1983 and began commercial production
in 1986. The plant was expanded with a
second line in 1996.
Vasavadatta produces three types of
cement: 43 grade OPC, 53 grade
32
Highlights November 2008
OPC and PPC. Production of the latter,
a blended cement based on flyash, has
been increasing over the past year, and
next year it will account for 70-80 percent of the total output. The company’s
main markets are in western and southern India to which cement is distributed
by rail (70%) or by truck (30%). This
is mostly done in 50 kg bags although
bulk deliveries have recently been ordered.
Located in the district of Gulbarga in
the state of Karnataka, Vasavadatta has
ample access to high quality limestone
in an area dotted with cement plants.
The limestone is quarried and crushed
just five hundred metres from the plant
and is carried by belt conveyor to the
storage facilities.
State-of-the-art in
pyroprocessing
The new line 4 is a showcase of cuttingedge pyro technology supplied by
FLSmidth. The system consists of a
single-string, six-stage ILC preheater, a
4.55 m (diameter) x 56 m long Rotax-2
two-support kiln and a 3x6 SF CrossBar cooler with CIS/MFR fixed inlet.
The heavy-duty roller breaker (HRB) is
a novelty in line 4 compared to line 3
– replacing the hammer crusher at the
cooler outlet.
The new line is equipped with a
Pfister feeder and a Duoflex kiln burner
for coal firing. The coal used at Vasavadatta Cement mainly comes from
mines in Andra Pradesh.
Line 3 was prepared for subsequent
installation of a HOTDISC, but until now
that has not been relevant due to the
limited availability of suitable alternative
fuel materials.
Upgrading the raw material
handling systems
FLSmidth is also providing other parts of
the new line. Civil engineering design
was carried out by FLSmidth Designs.
And a new 650 tph limestone store that
houses an FLSmidth longitudinal stacker
and reclaimer is being installed together
with an additional FLSmidth side scraper
store for raw mill additives like bauxite
and laterite. The most recent coal store
was also supplied by FLSmidth. An FRF
homogenising silo with a capacity of
6000 tonnes blends the raw meal by successive and selective aeration and extraction from each of the three silo sectors.
Protecting the environment
The energy consumption of the line 3
pyroprocessing system is low, only 706
kcal/kg clinker compared to the Indian
norm of 720 kcal/kg clinker. Both lines
3 and 4 are served by a baghouse designed for 800,000 m3/h at 160°C.
The baghouse complies with stringent
CEMENT
Vasavadatta’s line 3 by night
Highlights November 2008
33
Vasavadatta comes back for more
emission standards and comes with an
on-line maintenance facility. The baghouse uses specially treated fibreglass
bags.
Vasavadatta has always attached
great importance to a cleaner environment. To mitigate the warming effect
of greenhouse gas emissions, they have
planted around 150,000 trees in the
surrounding area and 10,000 more are
added every year. Stable water supplies
are important so a 2 million m3 water
reserve has been built to store water
for the dry months when restrictions
are imposed on using the nearby river.
Energy comes from Vasavadatta’s own
power plant which generates 43 MW of
electricity. One month before line 4 is
completed this will be upgraded by an
additional 18 MW.
34
Highlights November 2008
Attentive support
According to the president of Vasavadatta Cement, Mr D.S. Bindra, not
everything has worked perfectly from
day one. But, as he comments, “whenever there is a problem FLSmidth reacts
fast. Their response time is very good.
We inform FLSmidth Chennai about
the problem and the next day we have
their attention – often on site. The support has been excellent! And we look
forward to doing further business with
FLSmidth.”
total production will reach 6 million tpy.
Vasavadatta hopes to further increase
its capacity to 10 million tonnes over the
next 3-4 years. The first step towards
that goal will be to upgrade the first two
lines by a total additional 1 million tpy.
Plans are in the pipeline for building an
additional line 5 when line 4 has been
completed. “It is my hope to complete
the fifth line before retiring,” Mr Bindra
concludes.
Heading for 10 million tonnes
per year
The three lines now in operation produce 4.1 milion tonnes per year (tpy),
and when line four comes on stream
Vasavadatta’s Rotax-2 kiln is the
first of its kind in India.
CEMENT
Vasavadatta Cement, which is part of the BK Birla Group, produces and markets 43 grade OPC,
53 grade OPC and PPC cement, mostly in bags.
Main entrance to Vasavadatta Cement,
which is located in the southern Indian
state of Karnataka.
Highlights November 2008
35
Considerations for large capacity
clinker production systems (1)
In this Part 1 of a 2-part series,
we will first review the overall
factors for determining the most
practical maximum clinker production level at a plant, and then
on the equipment side, examine
the considerations for selecting
the number of preheater strings
in a large production system.
Part 2 will focus on the choice
between a 2- and 3-support kiln
along with design practicalities
in a clinker cooler rated for high
capacity.
The average capacity of clinker production systems has steadily increased over
the years, primarily due to the advent of
new technologies and processes, along
with greater cement demand and improved distribution. The average size of
almost 600 single kiln lines supplied by
FLSmidth between 1970 and 2008 has
gone from less than 1500 tpd clinker
to nearly 6000 tpd (Figure 1). As early
as 1990, kiln systems of 10,000 tpd
capacity have been installed, with some
of them operating continuously over
11,000 tpd. Today, such a system size
has become quite common in the world.
And now, there are plants being constructed with a design basis of 12,000
tpd and even higher.
Primary factors for plant size
The most practical size of a single production line is determined by a number
of factors. Equipment technology is
generally no longer a limitation within
the largest plant capacities considered
thus far. Therefore, the choice of capacity most often depends on raw material
availability, the local market and infrastructure.
Silos and preheater tower at Holcim’s 12,000 tpd
Ste. Genevieve plant in the USA.
36
Highlights November 2008
Normally cement plants are placed
close to the limestone quarry and other
sources of major components. This is for
the simple reason that for each tonne of
cement produced the consumption of
raw materials is more than 1.5 tonnes.
In a particular region, the possible size of
plant will therefore depend on the size
of the raw material deposits. Usually
quality reserves for more than 30 years
of production are recommended so that
the plant can be fully utilised throughout the lifetime of the equipment.
The infrastructure, population density and cement consumption per inhabitant, as well as competition, are primary
CEMENT
Figure 1: The nearly 600 kiln lines supplied by FLSmidth between
1970 and 2008 show a steady upward trend in capacity.
Preheater equipment design
and selection
When it comes to single kiln lines, a
number of key design decisions from the
pyro-process perspective should not be
generalised, but rather only be finalised
based on a thorough analysis of the specific project conditions.
Interestingly, it is at the new average
size of around 6000 tpd where a funda-
6000
Average plant clinker capacity (tpd)
factors that usually ultimately determine
the possible size of a new cement plant.
A simple calculation could be that with
a given cement consumption of, for
instance, 300 kg per capita per year,
a cement production line of 10,000
tonnes of clinker per day would require
a neighbouring population of 13.75 million people (10,000 t/d x 1000 kg/t / 0.8
clinker/cement x 330 days/year / 300 kg/
capita/year). As is more often the case,
the large plant is located near a port or
major land route so that export or long
distance transport is possible.
A new production line can either be
a greenfield plant or an additional unit
to an existing plant site. On an existing
site, a new large unit is often installed
with the purpose of replacing either
partially or fully some of the old, smaller,
and less efficient production lines, so
that production costs are reduced and
the environmental impact is improved.
There will of course be other micro- and macro-economic factors and
economies-of-scale that may influence
the ultimate choice in plant size in a
particular site or region, not to mention
potential environmental impacts and
absolute emission limits. As the clinker
to cement factor continues to lower,
pushed by desire for reduced production
costs and CO2 emission, this will also
ultimately affect the required size of the
clinker production kiln line itself.
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Year
mental assessment between a 1- and
2-string preheater is necessary. Which
is more economical, and is there any
difference in performance and reliability
between a 1- and 2-string preheater?
At higher capacities, a similar decision
must be made between a 2-, 3-, or even
4-string preheater. Here are some key
findings and main points to consider:
• The current maximum cyclone size
available by FLSmidth is the LP9000
(9.0 metre diameter). This size will allow for clinker production of upwards
of 7000 tpd or more in a single string.
Larger cyclone sizes are not being
considered at this time due to certain
limitations in refractory design
• The equipment steel weight will be
similar between the 1- and 2-string
solution for the average production
level in question
• There will be savings in refractory for
a 1-string preheater on the order of
10%
• The number of equipment pieces
will be higher in a 2-string preheater,
which will generally equate to more
long-term maintenance.
• A 2-string preheater may add a level
of complexity to the operations, depending upon the number of meal
splits within the design
• There is no evidence to substantiate
that large preheater LP cyclones are
less efficient than smaller ones. There
should be no difference in risk of cyclone blockages in either case
• Civil requirements are potentially
greater in a 1-string preheater due
to a higher structure. This is also
very dependent upon the local site
conditions, especially earthquake
load. Local code or visual impact may
also restrict the maximum structure
height.
Together with our customers and with
recognition of any particular preferences, FLSmidth helps to review each
project on a case-by-case basis to ultimately determine the most practical solution. Stay tuned until the next issue of
Highlights where kiln and cooler design
considerations are examined.
Highlights November 2008
37
Chettinad Cement Corporation builds two
identical lines for its new Ariyalur project
FLSmidth is supplying two new
4,000 tonnes per day (tpd) kiln
production lines for Chettinad
Cement’s new Ariyalur plant in
Tamil Nadu.
The new lines will supplement Chettinad Cement’s two existing lines – with
the first expected to be commissioned
around December this year and the
second in autumn 2009. Highlights
visited Mr C. Sudhakar, President of
Chettinad Cement, to see the modern
pyroprocessing lines as they draw close
to completion.
Chettinad Cement
The first manufacturing unit at Puliyur,
Karur, began in 1968, and dry process
technology was implemented later. Located in an industrially backward area in
Tamil Nadu, the plant made use of the
market opportunities at the time. The
plant is located near good road and rail
links, and the crushed limestone is carried the 40 kilometres from the quarry
by monorail.
But now, the first line is beginning to
show its age. The second line, which is
some 35-40 kilometres away, was started
in 2001. Production capacity at the
Mr C. Sudhakar, President of Chettinad Cement.
beginning was 1.2 million tonnes per
year, rising to 1.5 million with blended
cement included. More grinding facilities
were added later, taking current capacity
to 1.8 million tonnes. “We hope to take
it up to 2 million tonnes and with these
two lines together we are aiming at 3
million,” says Mr Sudhakar.
Chettinad produces a range of cement types: 43 and 53 grade OPC, PPC
and slag cement. Blended cement accounts for 70 percent of production and
the remaining 30 percent is ordinary
Portland cement. Today 99 percent of
the company’s cement is distributed in
50 kg sacks and the rest as bulk cement.
For the two new lines, Chettinad is
hoping to reach an additional 4 million
tonnes, mainly based on blended cement.
Market view
Chettinad is also looking at setting up a
new plant and some split location grinding and packing units. By 2012 they
hope to reach 15 million tonnes and, if
the market continues to grow, 20 million in 2015.
“The growth in the cement industry has fallen slightly, but it hasn’t
stopped,” explains Mr Sudhakar. “By
2009, the industry will have added
another 30 million tonnes of capacity
but still, the market should be stable
over the next three to four years. As the
population in India grows, selling the
finished product shouldn’t be a problem, although maybe the margin will
come down.”
Mr. Sudhakar doesn’t think that
India will be a big exporter of cement in
the future because the nearby markets
like the Gulf have now become selfsufficient – although small quantities are
still going to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.
Scope of production lines
The two new identical production lines
include the following core equipment
from FLSmidth:
Raw meal grinding and storage
Both lines will be equipped with an ATOX
42.5 vertical raw mill with a capacity of
350 tonnes per hour (tph). The homogenising system consists of an inverted
cone homogenising silo with a capacity
of 18,000 tonnes (both lines 3 and 4).
Pyroprocessing system
The pyroprocessing system is comprised
of a single string, five-stage preheater
with an ILC lowNOx calciner, a 4.15
metre (diameter) x 64 metre long, threesupport kiln, and a 3x5 SF Cross-Bar
ATOX 42.5 raw mill under erection.
38
Highlights November 2008
CEMENT
Preheater tower line 3.
cooler with a CIS/MFR fixed inlet and
a hammer crusher at the cooler outlet.
The ESP filter for the cooler is supplied
by FLSmidth Airtech.
The new lines will also be supplied
with Duoflex kiln burners. The fuel is
based on coal, lignite or petcoke – and
the lines use an ATOX 22.5 vertical mill
with a capacity of 33 tph and four FK
pumps handling the distribution.
Alternative fuels
Chettinad is planning to fire with municipal or solid waste in coming years.
FLSmidth has done feasibility studies,
but there is still a long way to go in India
before this becomes a reality. Says
Mr Sudhakar, “As fuel prices have increased so much, especially coal, we
have tried using some alternative fuels.
But unfortunately, we usually find that
the materials have disappeared within
six months or the supplier demands such
a huge price that we feel better going
back to coal.”
As in Europe and Japan, the government has a role to play securing a consistent and stable supply of alternative
fuels. Today, total cement capacity in
India is around 200 million tpy. There’s
a lot of waste material available and, if
waste management was properly implemented in India, at least 30-40 million
tonnes of cement could be manufactured from alternative fuels.
FLSmidth as a partner
“FLSmidth is a good partner for us.
In the last ten years the company has
grown in India,” says Mr Sudhakar.
“But we would like to see them visit the
plant even more for after-sales service,
and we would like to be kept informed
about new technology.”
Highlights November 2008
39
New fly ash system facilitates
operations and cuts costs
In October 2006, the new Airslide™ to Fuller-Kinyon™ Pump
(A2P™) fly ash transfer system
began commercial operation
at a coal-fired power plant. The
new system helps the plant handle fly ash safely and more efficiently.
Fly ash removal and transfer is a very
important process of all coal-fired power
plants. Pneumatic conveying systems are
commonly installed under an electrostatic precipitator or bag house to handle the ash. These conveying systems
take in the fly ash from the collection
hoppers and transfer it via a pipeline to
an ash storage silo.
The traditional types of pneumatic
conveying systems utilise numerous
moving components. All of these devices must function reliably and repeatedly
for the system to operate effectively.
A new approach
FLSmidth decided to formulate and
market a nearly maintenance free ash
transfer system. The objectives were to
reduce operation, maintenance and
Precipitator floor before A2P system.
40
Highlights November 2008
Depiction of an A2P system.
capital costs and to improve system
availability whilst utilising proven FLSmidth product technologies. FLSmidth
has branded the system Airslide™ to
Fuller-Kinyon™ (F-K) Pump, or A2P™.
The A2P system combines two well
proven ash handling technologies. It
stores no ash in the precipitator’s collection hopper like traditional ash systems
do. As soon as the ash falls into the
collection hoppers, it is funneled into
the Airslide network that slopes on a
slight angle towards an F-K Pump. All of
the hoppers feed the Airslide network
continuously and simultaneously for
nonstop ash removal. The ash residence
time from precipitator/bag house to
storage silo is only a few seconds.
Precipitator floor after A2P system.
MINERALS
Numerous advantages
The A2P system delivers several advantages compared to traditional ash
conveying:
• “All hoppers empty all the time.”
There is no storage of ash in collection hoppers. Hoppers act like funnels
that dispense ash into the Airslide
network
• No cycling ash intake valves at
collection hopper outlets
• No pressure tanks (eliminating
multiple inlet valves, outlet valves,
vent valves, level detection, pressure
transmitters, and tank/hopper
aeration)
• Only two moving parts between
collection hoppers and ash storage
silo: F-K Pump and rotary flow control
valve
• Less wear of pneumatic transfer pipe
utilising medium phase conveying
• Low I/O count with simplified control
system
• High capacity of ash transfer rate over
long distances using dilute or mixed
phase conveying
• Standard schedule 40 pipe can be
used in lieu of costly spun cast pipe.
A2P is versatile in that each system can
be custom-designed for any ordinary or
unique application. It can be designed
for a new precipitator or bag house installation or retro-fit an outmoded ash
system. A2P can service precipitators and
bag houses with any number hoppers in
any orientation, and can accommodate
ash conveying rates varying from 5 to
over 300 standard tons per hour.
Successfully on stream
Before engineering the A2P system,
samples of fly ash produced at the JEC
power plant were thoroughly tested at
FLSmidth Pneumatic Transport’s R&D
laboratory. The samples went through
Airslide testing to establish the design
angle and optimise the conveying rate.
Ash chemistry and particle size distribution were analysed to determine the
conveying characteristics of the ash.
Before starting up the new system
in October 2006, all rotating equipment
and the control system were checked.
The A2P system came into operation
flawlessly and has now proved its worth
as a cost-effective solution for power
plant operators.
Anatomy of F-K Pump.
Highlights November 2008
41
Training that empowers your
workforce for lasting results
Every industry is striving for
better, more efficient production
– and cement is no different. In
the past, cement producers have
called in outside process experts
to ensure their plants run at
maximum efficiency. But perhaps
the key is already in your plant.
Could interactive training be the
way to empower your workforce
and sharpen your competitive
edge?
Somewhere in the American heartland,
a cement plant just upped production
by 10 percent. There’s nothing unusual
in this. Cement plants call in process
experts all the time to analyse performance and increase efficiency. But what is
different about this plant is who found
the solution. It was not an outside specialist or the plant supervisor. It was a
team of employees from throughout the
plant: from production, maintenance,
quality control and the power room.
So how did it happen? What allowed a
group with such disparate expertise to
turn production around?
Bill Gormley, Training Manager at
FLSmidth Institute, facilitated the work
done by the group. “When the plant
manager called me, he had a very clear
request. Can FLSmidth Institute improve
production and reduce variability? In the
old days, we’d tackle a problem like this
by talking with the process engineer.
Then we’d analyse the data and come
up with a solution – and we’d instantly
kick up production by 10-15 percent.
But when we left, production would
often drop again.”
42
Highlights November 2008
He continues, “We realised the issue
was ownership. We gave the orders to
change things, but didn’t involve the
entire plant team in the decision making
– no one had ownership of the changes,
and so they wouldn’t necessarily be carried out consistently after we’d gone.”
Now, FLSmidth Institute offers customised interactive training to customers with specific requests. When Bill is
given an audit and problem-solving task
by a customer, he works with a select
group of people in the plant. Bill teaches
them the principles of conducting an
investigation. Together, they go out
to collect the data they need. He then
guides them through the decision-making process until they reach a solution.
In essence, he teaches them to think like
and be the plant’s experts.
“What we get is a lightbulb moment,” says Bill. “At some point, a
lightbulb comes on for someone in the
group – and they know the answer.
It’s a fantastic moment for the whole
team.”
Empowering your workforce
to make decisions
According to Bill, interactive training
works for a number of reasons. In the
old days, trainers would lecture in front
of PowerPoint presentations for eight
hours a day. The concept treats people
like sponges, assuming they can simply
absorb information through passive listening. But interactive training spins this
concept on its head. Instead of telling
people the answers, it teaches people
how to find the answers themselves – by
arming them with the theory and the
tools necessary to do the job.
The other key ingredient is the
make-up of the group. Bill explains,
“Some supervisors complain to me that
their phone rings all the time – because
every decision has to go through them.
They have to step back, take a good
look at their training programmes and
ask ‘am I actually engaging my workforce?’ Many training programmes
aren’t – and this is where interactive
training helps. We empower the em-
CEMENT
ployees to be able to make decisions.
But for this to work, a training group
has to comprise people from all aspects
and levels of the plant. I tell my groups
to leave their commanders’ stripes at
the door, because everyone in the group
has to have an equal say. This is no
longer about bosses knowing more, it’s
about the whole group learning to take
ownership for the decisions made at the
plant. Only by giving everyone ownership can you ensure the learnings will be
carried forward into each department of
the plant.”
Let the data speak
Bill’s favourite expression might well be
‘data speaks’. He uses it a lot when talking about interactive training. And it’s
easy to see why, because it neatly sums
up one of interactive training’s main
concepts: the data gives you the right
solution. “When we work with a group,
we ask them to look at the data and see
what it tells them,” says Bill. “If they
don’t have enough data, we take them
out into the plant to gather it. Then we
look at the data again, because that
data is going to tell us the answer. The
answer is not what Bill from FLSmidth
Institute thinks and it’s not what the
manager thinks. The answer is what the
data says.”
This is essential when working with
a group made up of senior managers,
line managers and shop floor workers.
Many managers are not used to sharing their responsibility. But if the entire
team is going to take ownership of the
decisions, those decisions have to come
from the group. And the group must be
guided by the data.
This goes back to interactive training’s underlying principle: the only way
to ensure that the improvements will
continue after the process experts have
left is to empower staff throughout the
plant. So does the training work? Bill
uses an example to illustrate its success.
“Recently, I was asked to go to a
plant to conduct interactive training. The
department manager had been making
process changes and had improved production. We were asked ‘is it possible to
improve production to an even higher
level?’ An interactive training group was
formed. The members of the interactive
training group were very enthusiastic
about the program from the start. At
the end of the training, the data told us
that the department was already operating as well as it possibly could.”
“Although significant production
gains were not possible without additional capital, the real gain has come
from the team’s understanding of process. Decision-making ability no longer
rests with one manager; it’s now shared
between ten team members. What
was the gain? The gain is a team that’s
ready to look at and apply the principles
learned to other machinery in that department.”
Training today, to prepare
for tomorrow
Right now, as one generation retires
and another takes over, it can be difficult to keep plants running at maximum output – and training is needed to
bring the younger generation of plant
employees up to speed quickly. Customised interactive training could be the
solution for many cement producers. It
does more than just teach people new
technical skills. It also allows teams like
Bill’s to pass on years of experience. And
by training people in their own plant,
where they are faced with a real-life
problem, it doubles the payoff from
the training. The plant team learns the
priniciples required to optimise plant
operations, and solves production issues
at the same time.
Highlights November 2008
43
Training that empowers your
workforce for lasting results
But people learn in different ways –
something FLSmidth Institute is keenly
aware of. As the training wing of
FLSmidth, FLSmidth Institute provides
training to all aspects of the cement and
minerals industries, not just production.
The seminars and courses are designed
to fit the unique requirements of each
customer – and draw on many different learning techniques, from hands-on
group work to individual reading and
study. For the FLSmidth Institute, it’s a
simple equation. As Bill says, “We take
pride in providing the right solutions for
our customers. At the end of the day,
we’re only successful if our customers
are successful. Customised interactive
training is just one tool in our box.”
Get
inspired
Over the years, FLSmidth Institute seminars and
training courses have been attended by 1,350
participants from more than 70 countries. What
accounts for this level of sustained interest?
We think it can be explained with a single word:
inspiration. We know that everyone who attends
our seminars and training courses leaves inspired
with new ideas about the way to do business.
Which is exactly why so many companies worldwide depend upon FLSmidth Institute to help
maintain their competitive edge.
In 2009, for the first time, Automation, Airtech
and Minerals will be included in the FLSmidth
Institute seminar and course catalogue.
Learn more about our seminars and courses
at www.flsmidthinstitute.com
44
Highlights November 2008
The entire puzzle ready for assembly
The Arab Union Contracting
Company’s (AUCC) new line
arrives on site all in one go.
Assembling a new cement production
line is not just an amazing feat of engineering. It is also a complex logistical
challenge, with equipment and parts
travelling from different ports all over
the world – which made the AUCC
project in Libya even more challenging.
Just outside Zliten in Libya, FLSmidth
is constructing a second line for AUCC.
In this type of project, equipment usually
arrives in stages. But in this case, due to
the timing of the project, it was important that the line arrived quickly – and
en masse. So how did FLSmidth get the
equipment to the construction site all
within a very short time span?
There were 70 shipments from 13
different ports, so coordinating shipments and arrival was not easy.
Each piece was transported from the
sub-supplier and held in its origin port
until everything was ready. It was then
shipped in larger shipments to arrive
within a short time in the Libyan port of
Misurata. The containers and the normal
break bulk cargo were then transported
by trucks to the construction site, while
the heavy and over-sized equipment,
including mills and gearboxes weighing
over 100 tons, had to be taken on special transports.
On site, all the equipment was arranged for assembly. The logistics team
of Export Coordinator Irene Mai
Pedersen, Freight Coordinator Donald
Christensen and On Site Coordinator
Torbjørn Pedersen, working in good
cooperation with AUCC, managed the
job successfully and within the given
timeframe.
Now all FLSmidth’s engineers have
to do is put the pieces of the puzzle
together.
CEMENT
Unloading mill shell in the port of Misurata.
Two trucks are needed to haul the mill to the site.
An entire cement plant lined up at the site, ready for assembly.
Highlights November 2008
45
FLSmidth India moves forward
in green setting
FLSmidth’s Indian operations
have seen spectacular growth
in recent years. The workforce
has expanded from a modest
25 persons in 1984 to a present
payroll of some 2,400 people and
office space has risen accordingly from around 330 square
metres to 26,000 square metres.
To accommodate this impressive
development of the organisation
a spacious and modern office
complex, “FLSmidth House”, has
been built on the outskirts of
Chennai.
FLSmidth’s Indian links go back more
than a century to 1904 when the company established its first contacts on the
subcontinent. In 1934, two FLSmidth
engineers, Søren Kristian Toubro and
Henning Holck Larsen, first landed on
the Indian shores to assist in the development of the nation’s cement industry.
Later they formed their own company
46
Highlights November 2008
Larsen & Toubro (L & T), today a leading
business group. FLSmidth continued to
have a presence in India through a small
office in Mumbai, established in 1938,
and, from 1964, via L & T based on a licence agreement which came to an end
in 2004.
The present Indian organization has
its beginnings in 1984 as Fuller KCP
Limited – a joint venture between Fuller
Company of USA and KCP Limited of
Chennai. In 1990, FLSmidth acquired
Fuller Company, inheriting its stake in
the Indian organisation. In 1997,
FLSmidth acquired total control of this
entity and its Indian branch was renamed
Fuller India which in 2004 came to
be known under its present name:
FLSmidth Private Limited.
FLSmidth House
The architectural concept of FLSmidth
House is inspired by the site acquired in
April 2005 which was previously a coconut and mango tree plantation. Efforts
have been made to conserve as much
greenery as possible while building the
new structure.
The foundation stone was laid on
22 August 2005 and the first phase
comprising four blocks was completed
in May 2007. The FLSmidth offices commenced operations on 21 May 2007.
The second phase of the building project
comprising two additional blocks was
inaugurated during July 2008. The new
office fronts the IT highway south of
Chennai and is located 32 km from the
city centre and 28 km from the airport.
Designed by Danish architects C.F.
Moeller, FLSmidth House is a state-ofthe-art building integrated with a
comprehensive intelligent building
management system. The house is set
against a sprawling green 6.5 acres
of land. The 33,000 square metres of
built-up space blend energy efficiency,
ecological sustainability and community
benefit with high return on investment.
Transparency enhances cooperation within organisation
The white-painted structure consists of
a main building with six blocks which
are interconnected by a central panoptic
and open courtyards. Outdoor views
and significant day lighting have been
intricately woven to benefit the office
complex, and 75% of all occupied space
has access to daylight thereby minimising the use of artificial lighting during
the day time. The building is designed
to promote cooperation and interaction
between departments and people in
general, for example by means of the
extensive use of glass in the interiors.
A separate ancillary block has been
dedicated to Research & Development
activities for the FLSmidth Group. In addition, 7000 square metres of parking
space has been created in the basement,
and an ancillary block houses the mechanical and service functions.
The main office complex houses
workstations and meeting rooms for
about 2000 employees. Some 1500
square metres of space have been allocated to the cafeteria which seats about
800 people at a time. Coffee vending
machines are provided in the break out
areas on each floor of each block. An
automatic touch screen audio-visual
presentation facility enables demonstrations and presentations in the panoptic
area visible to the audience by roll down
screens on every floor. The House is
equipped with a public messaging system to address employees, especially
in an emergency. FLSmidth provides a
comfortable and convenient transport
system to employees on 65 routes within Chennai and surrounding areas.
Addressing the environmental
challenges of the future
This year a 1.65 MW wind turbine
was installed and 80% of the energy
requirement of FLSmidth House is supplied by this green power initiative
(see also page 48).
Great care has been taken in
selecting energy efficient light fixtures,
air conditioning equipment and an
advanced heating, ventilation and air
conditioning (HVAC) system resulting
in considerable energy savings, high
comfort and superior indoor air quality.
As a means of water preservation, rain
water is collected within the site itself.
A state-of-the-art sewage treatment
plant recycles water and uses it for
gardening.
The above efforts have overcome
significant environmental challenges in
terms of sustainable designs integrating
architecture, technology and available
natural systems. These initiatives and a
prospective gold certification from LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) will further motivate the drive to
protect and enhance a greener setting,
underlining FLSmidth’s commitment to
quality and conservation of energy and
environment.
Highlights November 2008
47
‘Beat the Autopilot’ helps kiln
operators share knowledge
FLSmidth Automation launched
the second Beat the Autopilot
competition on open source –
so anyone could sign up without
invitation. Three of the best
performers gathered in Copenhagen to FLSmidth Automation’s
facilities.
All three winners are keen to compete
next time around, but they would like to
see a couple of changes to make it even
more relevant to the challenges faced
by today’s operators. “All operators
know that one of the biggest issues
today is global warming,” says Mr.
Prasant Kumar Tripathy from Shree
Cement Ltd., India. “So energy consumption really must be included. The
game is a great way to bring operators
together from around the world. We all
share the technology and we all want
to improve, so perhaps next time we
can also include a discussion forum,
where operators can share tips, ideas
and information.”
Whether it’s for training or fun, it
seems that Beat the Autopilot is addictive. During the first week of the opensource competition there was an average of 300 sessions played each day.
The winners
Beat the Autopilot I (Invitation only)
1.Mr PK Tripathy, Technical Vice President,
Shree Cement Ltd., India
2.Mr Charles Randolph Walters, Control Room
Supervisor, Salt River Materials Group, USA
3.Mr Tony Valenzuela, Control Room Operator SR.,
Salt River Materials Group, USA
Beat the Autopilot II (Open)
1.Mr Babak Pirouz, Ardebil Cement & Azarshahr
Lime (ACAL), Iran
2.Mr Muhammad Shafique, Sr. Manager
Production, D.G. Khan Cement Co. Ltd., Pakistan
3.Mr Pedro Quesada Argueta, Cementos Portland
Valderrivas s.a., Spain
Left to right: Mr Christian Rytter, FLSmidth Automation; Mr PK Tripathy, Shree Cement Ltd.,
India; Mr Babak Pirouz, Ardebil Cement & Azarshahr Lime, Iran; Mr Tony Valenzuela,
Salt River Materials Group, USA; and Mr Peter Harrig Nielsen, FLSmidth Automation.
FLSmidth India switches
to green energy
As part of FLSmidth’s commitment to work for a greener future, FLSmidth
India in Chennai has invested in a 1.65 MW wind turbine to serve its new
office complex, FLSmidth House. “We are an active supporter of alternative energy sources”, Anders Bech, CEO of FLSmidth India comments. And
he continues: “The V-82 turbine supplied by the Danish company Vestas is
the most powerful wind turbine available in India today”. The wind turbine
tower is 78 metres high and the rotor diameter is 82 metres. The turbine is
capable of generating some 4 million kWh annually. It will meet more than
80% of the energy requirement of the FLSmidth House in Chennai (see
also article on the FLSmidth House on the previous pages).
The wind turbine is situated in the Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu,
approximately 650 km south of Chennai and was completed on 7 May.
In the same area, a number of FLSmidth customers are already green
energy producers.
48
Highlights November 2008
FLSmidth Roadrunners:
champions in fuel economy
FLSmidth has signed a sponsorship
agreement with the Technical University
of Denmark (DTU) for an eco car project.
The agreement was signed earlier this
year by FLSmidth Group CEO Jørgen
Huno Rasmussen and the president of
DTU. The two purpose-built cars, one
fuelled by hydrogen and the other by
dimethyl ether (DME), were presented to
the public at a special event in the spring
which was attended by His Royal Highness, Prince Joachim of Denmark, who is
also an active motorsport enthusiast.
The small and super-economical
Innovator and Dynamo cars participated
in the annual Shell Eco-marathon in
May in southern France. The FLSmidth
Roadrunners, as the DTU team is called,
competed against 206 other teams in
Above: The Dynamo runs
on dimethyl ether (DME).
Left: The Innovator is
hydrogen-fuelled.
the marathon to achieve the best fueleconomy in each of their respective
­categories. The Danish team returned
with a new personal record and an
award for best alternative to diesel.
The Innovator is a hydrogen fuelled
car whilst the Dynamo drives on DME.
The personal record was set by the
Innovator which drove 2,328 km per
litre. It also turned out to be the best
Scandinavian result in the hydrogen
category. The Dynamo team won a
trophy for best alternative to diesel. The
special DME fuel was developed at DTU
and the FLSmidth Roadrunners have had
to work out how to handle the liquid
which turns into gas quite easily. The
Innovator ended in 8th place out of 150
cars and in 5th place in the hydrogen category. The Dynamo ended in 5th place in
its internal combustion category.
Highlights November 2008
49
Strong presence in Vietnam continues
Vietnam has become Asia’s
new tiger economy and growth
miracle. Economic figures tell
the story of a country where
everything is moving fast –
really fast.
According to the Vietnamese Association for Building Materials the consumption of cement is expected to reach
50 million tonnes by 2010, 80 million
tonnes by 2015 and more than 100 million tonnes by 2020.
New technology and new equipment are
high on the agenda in the Vietnamese
cement industry. Construction of new
cement plants and production lines and
upgrading, modifying and improving of
existing plants are national priorities.
The country has experienced extensive and stable growth for the last ten
years. “There is a high level of activity in
the market and we see very interesting
opportunities in Vietnam”, says Rune
Hurttia, who has been stationed in
Hanoi since June this year to maintain
and develop FLSmidth’s presence and
good relationship with the Vietnamese
cement industry. Rune has extensive
experience in operating and selling
FLSmidth equipment.
Expanding for the future
Vietnam is evolving from an agrarian
society into a modern, industrial nation.
Rapid growth in infrastructure and industry as well as continuous expansion
of urban areas have caused a dramatic
increase in cement consumption in
recent years. Even though many new
plants have come on stream, supply is
still lower than demand.
FLSmidth was among the very first
companies to participate in the rebuilding and development of the country
after the Vietnam War came to an end
in 1975. FLSmidth has had a strong
presence in Vietnam for many years
and has a solid reputation for providing
quality products. Today, three FLSmidthsupplied plants are in operation in Vietnam. Hoang Thach with lines one and
two and a total capacity of 5000 tpd,
Tam Diep with one line and a capacity of
4000 tpd and Haiphong with 3300 tpd.
Third lines are under construction
at Hoang Thach and Ha Long Cement,
and will soon contribute to the country’s
cement production.
Going green
“High technology equipment, alternative fuels and waste heat recovery are
hot issues in the industry”, Rune continues. With increasing fuel prices and
recurring power shortages, lower power
and heat consumption is a key concern
in Vietnam in general, and in the cement
industry in particular. “FLSmidth supplies plants that are among the world’s
most modern and environmentally
friendly. I believe we can contribute to
the green development here in Vietnam”, Rune says.
50
Highlights November 2008
The Ha Long Cement plant
is beautifully situated in the world famous Ha Long Bay in the province of
Quang Ninh, 150 km east of Hanoi.
FLSmidth and state owned Ha Long Joint
Cement Stock Co. signed the contract
for Ha Long Cement in 2005.
The contract covers the construction
of a new 5500 tpd greenfield cement
plant in Ha Long and an additional cement grinding installation and packaging plant in Ho Chi Minh City in the
south.
Both the cement plant and the grinding plant are scheduled to come on
stream in 2009.
The new cement plant will ship
60 percent of the clinker to the cement
grinding plant in the south, and a new
terminal and jetty have been constructed in Ha Long Bay. The remaining 40
percent of the clinker will be used for
producing cement at the main cement
plant and will be sold locally in the Ha
Long Bay area.
State-of-the-art machinery
The production line meets the highest
international environmental standards.
CEMENT
All the main equipment is being supplied
by FLSmidth and its Group companies.
FLSmidth is supplying complete
storage and transport facilities for handling of raw materials; an FRM 52/400
vertical roller mill, an SLC-D preheater
system with three support kiln, an SF
4x6 Cross-bar Cooler, an Atox 30.0 coal
mill, a UMS 50x14.0 cement mill and
complete process control for the Ha
Long Cement plant.
In addition, FLSmidth Airtech is providing electrostatic precipitators, MVT
is supplying bag loaders and a clinker
loader, MAAG Gear is delivering mill
gears, Pfister is providing dosing control
and Ventomatic is supplying three complete packing lines.
For the grinding plant in Ho Chi Minh
City, FLSmidth is supplying a UMS mill
54x15.5 and complete storage and
transport facilities for ship loading and
unloading. Ventomatic is supplying
three complete packaging lines. The
scope of supply also includes supervision
of erection, commissioning, spare parts,
civil engineering and training.
Pictured in front of local agent KDS’ office in Hanoi,
Rune Hurttia and KDS staff.
Ha Long Cement’s new No. 3 production line is
located near the scenic Ha Long Bay.
Highlights November 2008
51
Global challenges fuel
international career
Merethe Kjul Thomsen is passionate about travelling – she
loves exploring new places, cultures and meeting new people.
In fact, ‘international’ is a word
that comes up again and again
when she talks about her 11-year
career at FLSmidth. And since
1 June 2008, when she took on
the role as Head of Department
at Customer Services Projects-1,
Merethe Kjul Thomsen has
been putting her international
experience, expertise and love
of travelling to work.
On the job:
No two days are the same in Customer
Services Projects-1. And that’s all part
of the attraction for Merethe Kjul
Thomsen. Her 15-strong team works
on upgrades of existing cement plants,
putting together international proposals, sales, plant layout and taking care
of project management. And Merethe
is relishing her new role: she has taken
part in final negotiations for a cement
plant upgrade in Turkey, travelled back
and forth to Germany, and is currently
putting the finishing touches to the
projects she initiated during her time
as project manager in the same department.
Frequent flyer
Merethe’s career at FLSmidth began in
1997. As Area Sales Manager at FLS miljø
(now FLSmidth Airtech), Merethe took
care of a range of sales and marketing
activities. And with 80 to 100 travel
days a year, she quickly accrued a lot
52
Ms Merethe Kjul Thomsen
managing an upgrading
project at a Turkish cement plant.
Highlights November 2008
of frequent flyer miles. In 2000, she
moved to FLSmidth Airtech as a Project
Manager. By the time she moved on
to the FLSmidth Materials Handling
Group as Project Manager in 2003, she
had touched down in over 35 countries
around the world while on the job.
In 2004, Merethe joined her current
department as a Project Manager. Now
as Head of Department, she is ready to
put her people skills, international experience and enthusiasm into her new
role. And FLSmidth is supporting her all
the way.
Good opportunities,
great support
In 2007, Merethe made it through
the selection process to become one
of the first participants in FLSmidth’s
Global Talent Programme. Along with
25 participants from around the world,
Merethe has been working in small
groups on strategic work-related assignments. The 18-month programme finishes in March 2009, and Merethe looks
certain to add an extra qualification to
her already impressive CV.
One of the great things about working
at FLSmidth is the range of opportunities
always on offer. “It’s a big company so
there are lots of opportunities – it’s just
up to the individual to grab them,” she
says. “FLSmidth fosters an exciting international environment and I get to work
with clients all around the world – and
get to see the results.”
So as Head of Department, what
are Merethe’s plans for the future?
“I’m looking forward to developing the
department. We’re celebrating our fifth
birthday at the moment. And with the
experience we’ve acquired, we’ve built
a very solid foundation. Our clients are
very enthusiastic about our concept and
we want to excel and help them get the
best upgrades in the market,” she says.
But the biggest challenge for Merethe is
finding the time to do all the things she
would like to. “I’ve got good support
from everywhere, including management and HR,” she explains. And most
importantly, Merethe says, “I have the
greatest team of all with a wealth of
experience around me.” All the right
ingredients for success.