Replacing an existing Horomill (horizontal roller mill) with a Pfeiffer MVR vertical roller mill at the Karsdorf works is an important step towards reducing carbon emissions.
The Karsdorf plant has been part of the “thomas gruppe” since January 1, 2023. With the purchase of the cement plant in Karsdorf, the company is continuing to expand and is taking on the challenge of laying the basis for a secure long-term future through extensive investments, including in the newly acquired Karsdorf site.
thomas zement is confident that cement will become a clean building material and believes in its future. In line with this philosophy, the company is making comprehensive efforts to make its cement production more environmentally friendly. The grinding technology from Gebr. Pfeiffer, which will soon be used in Karsdorf, is one of several elements on the way to achieving this goal.
Gebr. Pfeiffer, as the technology leader in the field of vertical roller mills, was able to convince the customer with its technology and also scored points with its high level of consulting expertise in this brownfield project, despite the customer's complex list of requirements.
Project development was therefore carried out in close cooperation between thomas zement GmbH and Gebr. Pfeiffer over a longer period of time. The customer's ideas and wishes were combined with the process and plant design expertise of the Kaiserslautern-based mill manufacturer and translated into a plant design that became more and more detailed. It was essential to take into account the existing conditions and structures of the existing cement plant while ensuring the ideal grinding process for the new plant.
The mill was supposed to grind a wide variety of different blended cements (from CEM I to CEM IV) as well as 100 % limestone and 100 % granulated blast furnace slag, with specific surface areas of 2700 to 6000 cm²/g (acc. to Blaine). In order to cover this exceptionally broad product portfolio, several grinding tests were necessary at Gebr. Pfeiffer's in-house test station, which led to the conclusion that a vertical roller mill of the type MVR 3750 C-4 would reliably perform these tasks. Supplementary cementitious material is also used in the various blended cements, which reduces the cement clinker factor through substitution. The use of such materials drastically reduces CO2 emissions.
In addition, replacing the existing grinding technology with the MVR vertical roller mill will directly lead to increased energy efficiency in the use of electrical energy. But this is not the only way in which CO2 emissions will be reduced at the plant, as the plant design is such that existing heat from the kiln area can be used for the grinding process. In future, the grinding process will primarily use this heat. The use of existing hot gases will also save thermal energy, which will further reduce the carbon footprint at the Karsdorf plant.
Although only a very limited amount of space was available for the plant layout, the design team succeeded in developing a well-thought-out and practical maintenance concept. This includes optimal accessibility to the plant with ample storage and work surfaces on several levels. Extensive fire protection and building ventilation measures round off the design so that the strict noise, dust and exhaust emission values can be complied with.
The project was marked by a relationship built on trust and shared innovation, which led not only to the order but also to a joint commitment to long-term cooperation in testing technical developments and advanced cements.
Gebr. Pfeiffer is delighted to be able to support another customer in its efforts to achieve more environmentally friendly and efficient cement production with its innovative grinding technology.
This project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. Commissioning of the new grinding plant is scheduled for mid-2027.
Click here for free registration to World Cement