CalPortland dedicates new cement bulk loading facility at Oro Grande Cement plant
Published by David Bizley,
Editor
World Cement,
CalPortland announced the official opening of a state-of-the-art rapid fill bulk cement loading station at the Oro Grande, CA cement plant during a customer appreciation ribbon cutting event on May 9, 2019. Loading stations 7 and 8 are the final steps in a plant modernisation program that was originally undertaken in 2008, prior to the acquisition of the facility by CalPortland. A new finish cement grinding mill was also recently commissioned in March 2019 which ultimately enables the plant to produce to its original design capacity. The addition of this efficient distribution system now permits the plant to fully operate to the best in class standards of its original design.
The project began in January 2018 and was constructed by general contractor Thyssen Krupp (tkIS) and sub-contractor TIC (The Industrial Company), in collaboration with CalPortland’s Engineering Services team. It provided local employment for 240 workers at the peak of project construction. The US$58.5 million total project included the construction of the finish ball mill and two new cement loadout facilities and two new distribution silos.
“The new mill and efficient truck loadout scales complete the plant upgrade begun in 2008 by Riverside Cement Company”, said Allen Hamblen, President/CEO, CalPortland. “CalPortland is proud to finish the expansion and build out of one of the most modern cement plants in the country. Our engineering staff and the Oro Grande operations team have developed a truck loadout system that is one of the fastest in the industry. The rapid fill bulk loading stations will prevent long wait times for our customers, reducing the total number of trucks on each loading station, thereby further contributing to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”
The need for rapid loading of bulk cement trucks is critical in Southern California due to very heavy traffic and long distances between the cement source and the location of ready mix concrete and concrete products plants in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties. The new loading lanes will improve service to the company’s customers by reducing wait times for bulk truck drivers as they pick up bulk cement at the plant during peak loading hours.
The event was attended by many CalPortland customers, bulk transport contract haulers as well as representatives of local elected public officials. Tim Itnyre, District Director for the Honorable Paul Cook, U.S. House of Representatives for California’s 8th Congressional District, presented a certificate of Congressional Recognition to the company recognising the dedication and commissioning of the new cement grinding finish mill and loadout station. Don Holland, Policy Advisor for the Honorable Robert A. Lovingood, Chairman San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, District 1, also presented a Certificate of Recognition to the company for its commitment to service that enhances the quality of life in the High Desert Communities.
The build out of the Oro Grande cement plant positions it as one of the most efficient cement production facilities in the United States. The plant optimises energy efficiency using state-of-the-art technology and equipment. The Oro Grande cement plant was awarded the 2018 ENERGY STAR® Plant Certification for Superior Energy Efficiency and was a major contributor to the award of the national 2019 ENERGY STAR PARNER OF THE YEAR – Sustained Excellence Award presented to CalPortland by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy in April 2019.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/14052019/calportland-dedicates-new-cement-bulk-loading-facility-at-oro-grande-cement-plant/
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