1 March 2013
Construction of the Sephaku Cement Aganang plant, a Greenfields project through which a high tech integrated clinker and cement production plant is being establishedin the North West Province of South Africa, is forging ahead. To date, the majority of the large civil structures are complete and the remaining civil work is progressing well, reports Heinrich de Beer, Engineering Project Manager at Sephaku Cement.
Aganang, which will be a state of the art producer of 6 000 tons of clinker per day and 1.2 million tons of cement per annum is proof of the magnitude of operational establishment that is possible. With storage volumes of 50 000 tons, its clinker silo will be one of the largest single clinker storage bunkers in South Africa and its kiln, the biggest single kiln in the country.
At least 100 000m3 of concrete and 14 600 tons of structural steel in the build. To date some 70 000 m³ of concrete has been placed on site, said de Beer. The plant will also have raw meal silo storage capacity to accommodate 20 000 tons, along with pre-blended stockpiles that extend the length and breadth of four rugby fields. Its cement silos will have the capacity to store 22 000 tons of finished cement product.
He explained that as at the end of April 2013, the Limestone Crusher building, the last of the large concrete structures to be constructed is far advanced and progressing as required. “The structural steel erection work is continuing in all areas. The space frame structures over the three raw material stockpile areas are well advanced with the Limestone storage area structure already sheeted.”
“Since January 2013, rapid progress has been made on the RMPS (Raw Material Proportioning station), the CPS (Cement Proportioning station), the Pre Heater structure, the Grate cooler area, the Kiln area, the Cement Packing plant area, the limestone crushing area, the clinker silo roof structure and the plant wide conveyor gantry structures,” highlighted de Beer.
In addition, the pre assembly and erection of the Coal Mill, the Raw Mill and the Clinker Mill have started. The Raw Mill erection is well advanced with the main drive gearbox (95 tons), the hydraulic cylinders and mill roller rocker arms already installed. Assembly of the Raw Mill, Coal Mill and Clinker Mill bag houses onto the concrete superstructures is on track.
November 2012 saw a major milestone reached as seven individual elements or sections that have been welded together to form the approximately 74m long kiln arrived on site. Imported from China, this extra abnormal load was transported by road from Richards Bay, a journey that took 12 days. Leith reports that great progress is being made with the Kiln installation, noting that the Kiln shell is in place and is being welded together.
“Mechanical equipment assembly work has started with solid progress being made on the Stacker and Reclaimer machines located in the Limestone, Gypsum, Additives and Coal storage areas. Electrical cable racking installation has also begun throughout the plant with exceptional progress being made in the RMPS, CPS, the Pre Heater/Kiln area as well as inside the many conveyor gantries already erected,” concluded de Beer.