Displaying items by tag: Maintenance

Equatorial Guinea: A new five-year service agreement has been signed with SSB International Limited (SSBIL) to provide expertise and supervisory support for the operation and maintenance of Abayak Cement’s plant in Akoga. The plant, equipped with key technology including an OK™ Mill and a ROTAX-2® Kiln supplied by FLSmidth, has been largely idle since its installation in 2016 due to power supply issues. With recent investments in a new power plant and the reactivation of equipment, however, commissioning is underway and is expected to be complete by mid-2024.

Syria: The General Company for Cement and Building Materials has successfully restored Plant No. 3 in Hama province to operation, following comprehensive maintenance of its machinery and equipment. The maintenance, which began last January, was completed by the company’s engineering and technical teams.

General Manager Engineer Issam Al-Abdullah noted that the company is focused on developing its production processes to meet local cement demands. Upcoming maintenance work on Plant No. 2 is planned to enhance its production capacity to around 1000t/day.

Australia: Boral's Berrima cement plant team has successfully concluded its annual kiln shutdown and maintenance period. The producer invested US$13.1m and 100,000 working hours over a period of three weeks. The project required coordination with 50 different contracting companies to undertake mechanical repairs and replace the kiln refractory, which is crucial for protecting the kiln shell from heat damage and ensuring operational safety. Employing Cement 4.0 technology and advanced diagnostic tools, the team efficiently identified the necessary repairs. About 300 employees and contractors were engaged in the specialist tasks, facilitating a rapid resumption of kiln operations.

UAE: Fujairah Cement Industries has announced an upcoming temporary suspension of despatches of cement from its Fujairah cement plant, commencing on 1 January 2024. Sales will remain suspended until at least mid-February 2024 to the start of March 2024. During the suspension, the producer will carry out a ‘major’ refurbishment of the plant.

Malaysia: Police reported the death of a man at a cement plant in Kinta District on 16 August 2023. The 26-year-old contractor had been cleaning hardened cement from a silo through its manhole, when he fell in and was submerged by cement. Medical staff pronounced him dead after his arrival at hospital. Perak State Occupational Safety and Health Department has issued a stop-work notice to the contractor.

Cement plants in Kinta District include Aalborg Portland Malaysia’s Aalborg Perak plant, Malayan Cement’s Kanthan plant and Tasek Cement’s Tasek cement plant.

US: Heidelberg Materials North America reported the death of a man at its Port Everglades cement terminal in Florida on 5 August 2023. Local press has reported that the body of the man was found inside equipment, where he is believed to have fallen. He was an external contractor who had been carrying out repair work. Authorities are currently investigating the tragedy.

Heidelberg Materials North America said "We are working closely with the appropriate authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident."

Kenya: East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) says that it is ready to resume full-scale cement production at its 600,000t/yr Athi River cement plant. The Standard newspaper has reported that the plant is currently operating at 50% capacity, following refurbishment. EAPCC replaced a 16m-long section of kiln shell in the plant's clinker line, at a cost of US$3.5m. Managing director Oliver Kirubai said that the company raised the funds through the sale of land located in Athi River.

Kirubai said "Our employees have cut back a lot, in a situation where we have been struggling even to pay their salaries. We are now back on our feet." He added "A number of companies owed us millions of Shillings. They have been ordered to pay us by the government. If they honour the agreement, the problem we are facing will be a thing of the past.”

EAPCC says that it expects the scale-up of production at the Athi River plant to help lower the cost of cement for its customers.

UK: Heidelberg Materials subsidiary Hanson UK successfully replaced a 130t section of the kiln at its 1Mt/yr Ribblesdale cement plant in Lancashire earlier in 2023. The section was 22m long, 4.6m in diameter and ran at a 4° angle. Contractor Ainscough Crane Hire used its heaviest, 800t lattice boom crane, and brought the project from acceptance to completion in 18 months. Engineering firm Grayton was Hanson's service partner for the upgrade.

India: Sanghi Cement has resumed cement production at Sanghipuram cement plant in Gujarat. The producer had suspended operations at the plant since 13 June 2023 amid the deadly landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy. The producer noted that there has been 'some damage' to the plant, and that repairs are on-going.

UK: Cemcor has installed a new US$7.54m bag filter at its Cookstown cement plant in County Tyrone. The system will detect signs of bag damage and isolate the affected row of bags for either online maintenance or, if the damage is minor, resealing with process dust.

The Irish News has reported that managing director David Millar said “We are forward thinking at Cemcor and understood it was time to put our money on the line and invest in the plant's efficiencies and sustainable outputs, to protect the environment around us and future-proof the plant itself."