Investment to boost supply at Hanson UK plant

The upgrade will enhance production capacity and efficiency, as well as cutting energy use. It marks the 70th anniversary of cement production at the North Wales plant and includes the installation of a cement grinding mill capable of producing up to 650 000 tpy of cement. This, combined with an existing ball mill, helps to match grinding capacity with the capacity of the kiln.

Removing discrepancy between grinding and kiln capacity at the plant means that thousands of tonnes of raw material will no longer be transported to other sites for grinding into cement. In addition, the facility, shipped to the UK from Spain, reduced energy consumption for this part of the production process by around 30%, due to the efficiency of its electric motors.

As part of the plant improvements, three new rail cement silos have been installed alongside the existing railhead. This will allow up to three trains/week to be loaded for deliveries to Hanson UK’s depots in London, Bristol, or Glasgow. The new silos will significantly reduce the road transportation of cement produced at Padeswood.

In addition to the increase in milling capacity, other recent capital investment at Padeswood includes the installation of a plastic packing machine, the recommissioning of an existing paper packaging machine, and an upgrade in the capability to use recycled paper and plastics as fuel.

“The investment is one of the biggest in our UK business, securing the long-term future of Padeswood and the consistent supply of cement to the plant’s customers,” said Jim Claydon, Cement Managing Director at Hanson UK. “The new Loesche vertical roller mill, housed in a 34 m high building, started its life as a grinding plant in Bilbao. It had only 7000 operational hours on the clock and was in excellent condition. After dismantling it piece by piece, specialist contractors moved it to the UK where it was reassembled onsite at Padeswood.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/09072019/investment-to-boost-supply-at-hanson-uk-plant/