Moncement Plant Tour – Part 3

Plant overview

The onsite quarry is 484 ha. in size and the limestone reserves are situated on the surface, meaning that quarry operations will not exceed a depth of 50 m below current ground level. Blasting will occur on a weekly basis, though quarry operations will have to shut down during the cold winter months. Limestone will be transported from the crusher to the cement plant via dump trucks – a distance of 2.2 km. The plant itself operates a 5-stage preheater kiln with ILC type calciner and a coal-fired Pillard kiln burner. Raw meal grinding is carried out by a 125 tph roller mill of Huaxin Cement Co., Ltd design, while cement grinding is through a tube mill, also by Huaxin Cement Co., Ltd. The plant has storage for 10 000 t of limestone and 17 500 t of coal and additives. Clinker storage of 25 000 t is accommodated and the plant operates a packing plant equipped by FLSmidth Ventomatic with an 8-spout rotary packer, as well as bulk dispatch via truck and rail wagon. The control system is from Siemens. The plant carries out manual sampling, but also uses a PANalytical Axios XRF spectrometer for quality control. Bag filters and continuous emissions monitoring systems are also in place.

‘Beyond industry standards’

An opening ceremony was held for the plant on 13 August, attended by Azjargal Ulziiitogtokh representing the EBRD. “This project will be a major step towards establishing domestic cement supply and substituting for imports. It is also important for the country’s economic diversification,” she said. “The EBRD is proud to highlight that the project meets EU requirements and will be using best available technology. Personally, as a Mongolian female professional, I am also very pleased to say that the company has a gender action plan to ensure equal opportunities, which goes beyond industry standards, not only in Mongolia but in the whole region where the EBRD works.”

In an industry traditionally dominated by men, it is certainly interesting to see a cement plant with a difference, and particularly one operating in such a harsh environment.

This is part three of a three-part article written by Katherine Guenioui 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/special-reports/18012016/moncement-plant-tour-part-3/