The Ferzikovo Project – Part 2

Highly efficient process

To ensure the project’s success, LafargeHolcim leveraged its international experience and innovative solutions in energy efficiency, industrial safety and environmental impact mitigation. To start with, the Ferzikovo facility is a dry-line cement plant, which means it consumes 2.5 times less energy than with wet production technology. No water is added and only the heat of the kiln is used to induce the necessary chemical reactions, producing 30 – 40% less kiln gases. The kiln exhaust gases are reused as the main source of heat to dry raw materials to a moisture content of less than 1%, creating a highly efficient kiln. Wider options for the use of heat from emitted gases are under consideration.

Smart dust reduction

The Ferzikovo plant has 88 high-technology industrial facilities on its 430 000 m² site area, such as a 100 m high tower for the preliminary heating of the raw mix, connected to the heat exchange devices behind the kiln. All production lines are automated, and operation of the plant is controlled from a single centre, equipped with a modern management console.

To avoid dust, raw material transportation from the quarry to the plant is provided through a 5500 m closed belt conveyor with a capacity of 1100 tph, installed across the Oka river. More than 6000 reliable filters are installed at the plant for particulate trap and combustion products. The enterprise has water sprays for the reduction of dust concentration in warehouses and outdoor areas. The packing machine is located inside the building to avoid dust being released to the atmosphere.

Alternative fuel

The base for the usage of alternative fuel has already been included in the design of the plant. By 2020, the share of alternative fuel is expected to reach 45% of the plant’s fuel consumption. The substitution of natural energy sources with alternative ones solves several important environmental problems at once: preserving non-renewable natural resources such as gas, as well as recycling waste, which pollutes air, water reservoirs and the soil of surrounding areas when stored.

LafargeHolcim is planning to make use of alternative fuels, including used tyres, sorted milled public waste and industrial waste – such as paper, carton, plastic, textile, rubber and wood. The production capacity of the alternative fuel workshop at the Ferzikovo plant is calculated for 450 000 tpy of incoming stock. This volume of raw materials after recycling gives 150 000 t of alternative fuel, where 1 t is 15 GJ of energy.

Community care

Today, the facility employs over 200 people, most of whom are residents of the Kaluga Region.

Even before the plant’s construction started in 2011, Lafarge Russia became actively involved in addressing the Kaluga Region’s social and economic issues. The Group allocated over €7 million to help renovate and construct roads in the Ferzikovo District. The total investment in the plant – both construction and the surrounding infrastructure – is €500 million. The company has also been running programmes to support educational establishments and elderly people, providing sponsorship for district-level sports competitions and leading voluntary projects. The plant pays special attention to environmental programmes and supports a biodiversity conservation programme for the Ferzikovo district.

This is part two of a three-part article written by Mikhail Senichev for World Cement’s January 2016 issue and abridged for the website. Subscribers can read the full issue by signing in, and can also catch up on-the-go via our new app for Apple and Android. Check back tomorrow for part two of the article on www.worldcement.com.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/15012016/ferzikovo-project-part-2/