ABI Nov-Dec 2021

Page 1

INTERNATIONAL

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | Vol.9 ISSUE No.6 | www.AggBusiness.com

Shining a light on sustainability

INTERVIEW Lafarge Egypt CEO Solomon Baumgartner on building the Egypt of tomorrow p08

T

PONSI BLY

IN

RES

F OO T P R

ON RB

PR

MARKET REPORT The great race to meet China’s insatiable aggregates demand p14 TO

RE

A

QUARRY PROFILE Metso Outotec support for Arezki’s big Senegalese highway project p12

ED

I N T E D & PO S

T

Big green gains to be had when choosing aggregates industry portable power solutions p37

DUCE OU

R

C


SEE QUARRYING IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT. Shot entirely at night, the mini series shows a side of quarrying few people ever see, and reveals the secrets underlying every successful quarrying operation. Discover them today at cat.com/SecretLifeOfQuarries

Watch the series at cat.com/SecretLifeOfQuarries to learn about the Secret Life of Quarries!

© 2021 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Corporate Yellow,” the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress as well as corporate & product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar & may not be used without permission.


CONTENTS

MARKET REPORT

“The commercial potential for Western aggregates crushing and screening plant manufacturers in China is enormous” p14 Vol.9 ISSUE No.6 November/December 2021

Regulars

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

| Vol.9 ISSUE No.6 | www.AggBusiness.com

Shining a light on sustainability

29

05 COMMENT

INTERNATIONAL

Big green gains to be had when choosing aggregates industry portable power solutions p37

The Chinese Way

T

PONSI BLY

IN

RES

PR

ON

F OO T P R

I N T E D & PO S

ED

MARKET REPORT The great race to meet China’s insatiable aggregates demand p14 •

RB

QUARRY PROFILE Metso Outotec support for Arezki’s big Senegalese highway project p12

TO

RE

A

Hyundai & Doosan to compete under Genuine tie-up; CEMEX Q3 results hit by supply chain issues

T

06 NEWS DUCE OU

R

C

INTERVIEW Lafarge Egypt CEO Solomon Baumgartner on building the Egypt of tomorrow p08

49 EQUIPMENT UPDATE COVER STORY: An Atlas Copco HiLight S2+ light tower in solar-powered application

Global OEMs’ new equipment launches & applications

50 EVENTS All the key events in the quarrying & aggregates world

24 HAULING

Features 19 CRUSHING & SCREENING Major crushing and screening manufacturers are launching a range of new models, designed for use in a variety of applications

24

Bell Equipment is evolving its 4x4 articulated hauler range, while Doosan trucks are proving hauling heroes for a Basque quarrying company

29 WASHING – 2 New and latest aggregates washing plants from leading global manufacturers are in great demand globally

33 ENGINES – 2 A state-of-the-art engine is helping to improve aggregates production at a Swedish quarry, while big off-road engine manufacturers have launched new product lines

Specials 08 INTERVIEW Lafarge Egypt CEO Solomon Baumgartner explains to V.L. Srinivasan how the company is helping to build the Egyptian tomorrow

12 QUARRY PROFILE Metso Outotec support for Arezki’s big Senegalese highway upgrade

14 MARKET REPORT The race hots up to best meet China’s insatiable aggregates demand

43 ETIHAD RAIL 37 PORTABLE POWER - 2 Thinking green when it comes to choosing portable power solutions for aggregates industry use

Recycled aggregates are helping to build a railway legacy for the Emirates

46 WCA CONFERENCE WCA president calls for focus on carbon neutrality and digitalisation

www.AggBusiness.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

03



COMMENT

HEAD OFFICE EDITOR: Guy Woodford ASSISTANT EDITOR: Liam McLoughlin CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Patrick Smith, Dan Gilkes EQUIPMENT EDITOR: Mike Woof DESIGNERS: Simon Ward, Andy Taylder PRODUCTION MANAGER: Nick Bond OFFICE MANAGER: Kelly Thompson CIRCULATION & DATABASE MANAGER: Charmaine Douglas INTERNET, IT & DATA SERVICES DIRECTOR: James Howard WEB ADMINISTRATORS: Sarah Biswell, Tatyana Mechkarova MANAGING DIRECTOR: Andrew Barriball PUBLISHER: Geoff Hadwick CHAIRMAN: Roger Adshead

ADDRESS Route One Publishing Ltd, Waterbridge Court, 50 Spital Street, Dartford, Kent DA1 2DT, UK TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612055 FAX: +44 (0) 1322 788063 EMAIL: [initialsurname]@ropl.com (psmith@ropl.com) ADVERTISEMENT SALES SALES DIRECTOR:

Philip Woodgate TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612067 EMAIL: pwoodgate@ropl.com Dan Emmerson TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612068 EMAIL: demmerson@ropl.com Graeme McQueen TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612069 EMAIL: gmcqueen@ropl.com SUBSCRIPTION / READER ENQUIRY SERVICE Aggregates Business is available on subscription at the rate of: £85 / US$145 / €111 per annum. Single copies £20 / US$35 / €26 Email subs@ropl.com for further details. Subscription records are maintained at Route One Publishing Ltd. SUBSCRIPTION / READER ENQUIRIES TO:

Data, Route One Publishing Ltd, Waterbridge Court, 50 Spital Street, Dartford, Kent DA1 2DT, UK TEL: +44 (0) 1322 612061 FAX: +44 (0) 1322 788063 EMAIL: data@ropl.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Contributors are encouraged to express their personal and professional opinions in this publication, and accordingly views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of Route One Publishing Ltd. From time to time statements and claims are made by the manufacturers and their representatives in respect of their products and services. Whilst reasonable steps are taken to check their accuracy at the time of going to press, the publisher cannot be held liable for their validity and accuracy.

PUBLISHED BY

© Route One Publishing Ltd 2021 AGGREGATES BUSINESS USPS:

is published six times a year. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named World Container Inc, 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT BROOKLYN, NY 11256 US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

Aggregates Business, World Container Inc, 150-15, 183rd Street, Jamaica, NY 11413, USA. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent PRINT: ISSN 2051-5766 ONLINE: ISSN 2057-3405

EDITOR The Chinese Way

I

n November 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic had taken hold of the world and you could still travel freely for work and pleasure, I attended the 6th China International Aggregates Conference in Wuxi. As avid readers of this magazine will know, the trip resulted in several features, including a fascinating interview with the wise and highly knowledgeable Hu Youyi, president of the China Aggregates Association. I was thinking about that memorable trip again as I put together this issue’s market report on the Chinese aggregates industry. The scale and complexity of the Chinese market conveyed during conference presentations was also highlighted by Martin Conway, Powerscreen’s China sales director, during our very enjoyable hour-long conversation for the market report feature. Quoting China Construction Machinery Association figures, Conway said China produced 25.2 billion tonnes of aggregates in 2020, an annual record and half of all production globally last year. Huge Chinese government infrastructure investment and the return to more normal day-to-day life with the COVID-19 pandemic back under control had, said Conway, boosted what was already a 20 billion tonnes a year aggregates market. Furthermore, Conway believes new aggregates processing technology coupled with a greater emphasis on environmental protection will increase Chinese demand for electricpowered aggregates crushing and screening plant in the around 1,000 units a year market. Powerscreen recently opened a state-of-theart manufacturing facility in the Jiading district of Shanghai. As Conway stressed, this is a crucial development in reassuring the brand’s customers and dealers of its long-term commitment to the Chinese market. The 18,000m² facility will allow the brand to begin production in China early in the new year, accelerating manufacturing plans by around two years. Jiading facilityproduced plants will initially feature models from Powerscreen’s Warrior, Trakpactor and Chieftain ranges.

“There are many eye-catching examples of the greater emphasis placed on greener industry” This edition’s must-read four-page China market report also includes expert analysis and data from Volvo Construction Equipment, XCMG, China Aggregates Association, China Construction Machinery Association, and GAIN (Global Aggregates Information Network). I am writing this Comment piece as COP26 in Glasgow is entering its final couple of days. While climate change and how best to limit it has been grabbing the attention of many government leaders, the global business world has been making its own considerable efforts to adjust to greener production practices, while also offering customers more environmentally friendly products. There are many eye-catching examples of the greater emphasis placed on greener industry within the world’s construction materials supply sector. Inside this issue, V L Srinivasan talks to Lafarge Egypt CEO Solomon Baumgartner who says the company’s ECOPlanet Prime cement, which reduces carbon emissions by 60% compared to standard cement recipes, is being used by contractors building the New Administrative Capital just outside Cairo. It has also been used to build Suez Canal tunnels, Cairo’s Iconic Tower, and the Cairo Metro. Baumgartner also describes how Lafarge Egypt’s 2011-launched Geocycle Egypt project feeds the Lafarge Cement plant in Ain Sokhna with refuse-derived fuel (RDF), an alternative to fossil fuel. You can look forward to reading about more innovative green building materials production by large and small to medium-sized companies in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East in forthcoming issues of ABI. GW

PRINTED BY: Warners (Midlands) PLC

www.AggBusiness.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

05


NEWS

METSO OUTOTEC TO INCREASE MANUFACTURING CAPACITY IN INDIA Metso Outotec is extending its current manufacturing capacity of mobile trackmounted crushing and screening equipment in Alwar, Rajasthan, India. The total Alwar production value is planned to grow by 30% from the current level, and global track-mounted mobile machine capacity by 15%. Construction of the new factory facilities is planned to start in early 2022 and be completed by the end of the year. The increased capacity in India will be used to manufacture McCloskey mobile and Lokotrack equipment, employing around 200 additional people. After the extension is completed, the Alwar factory will be one of the biggest manufacturing sites of Metso Outotec, employing approximately 800 people.

Hyundai & Doosan to compete under Genuine tie-up

A

n intermediary holding company, Hyundai Genuine, has been established following the purchase in August of Doosan Infracore by Hyundai Heavy Industries Group. Doosan Infracore has since been renamed Hyundai-Doosan Infracore. Hyundai Construction Equipment and Hyundai-Doosan Infracore will continue to operate under their management systems, competing as sister companies within the global equipment

market. Hyundai Genuine will support both businesses while maximising the available synergies between the two. Hyundai Genuine intends to rank among the Global Top 5 construction equipment manufacturers, capturing 5% of global markets by 2025. This will initially be achieved by developing integrated excavator and wheeled loader platforms by 2025 that both companies will utilise. The two manufacturing businesses

will combine their research and development efforts to increase technological competitiveness, while sales strengths will increase through mutually complementary machinery ranges. Further ahead, new investment will rise to secure next-generation business activities. The plans include the development of hydrogen engines for construction equipment, further mergers and acquisitions, investment in start-up businesses and closer industry-university cooperation to develop marketleading expertise in automation and electrification. Hyundai Heavy Industries Group chairperson Kwon Oh-gap has vowed to develop the construction equipment business as a core sector of the group, a decision that will be backed by further investment at group level.

CEMEX Q3 results hit by supply chain issues

Welding being inspected at Metso Outotec’s Alwar factory “This is another step in developing our domestic and export business in India. At the same time, we are also investing significantly in engineering and R&D resources in Alwar and making it one of our global engineering hubs,” says Markku Simula, president of the Aggregates business area of Metso Outotec.

06

Building materials giant CEMEX says that its consolidated net sales increased 8% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2021 to US$3.8bn. Despite the strong top-line growth, the company adds that operating EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) decreased 1% to US$740mn, due to supply chain disruptions as well as a sudden rise in energy and transportation costs. CEMEX says it continued making progress in deleveraging, reaching 2.74 times leverage at the end of the quarter. Net sales increased 8% yearon-year in Q3 to US$3,769mn, and consolidated cement and aggregates volumes grew 1%, while ready-mix grew 3%, and urbanisation solutions sales grew 16%. Prices in local currency terms were up 6% for cement, and 3% for ready-mix and aggregates, while operating EBITDA decreased 1% to

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

CEMEX achieved Q3 growth despite supply chain issues US$740mn. Operating EBITDA margin decreased by 1.6% from 21.2% in the third quarter of 2020 to 19.6% this quarter. Free cash flow after maintenance capital expenditures reached US$368mn. Controlling interest net income (loss) resulted in a loss of US$376mn in the third quarter of 2021 versus a loss of US$1,535mn in the same quarter of 2020. The improvement in net income primar-

ily reflects a smaller non-cash impairment charge in comparison with 2020, higher operating earnings before other expenses net and lower financial expenses. Net debt and leverage were reduced during the third quarter, with net debt decreasing to US$248mn versus the second quarter of 2021. “We are pleased to report strong top-line growth reflecting continued growth in demand for our products, coupled with an acceleration in pricing momentum,” said Fernando González, CEO of CEMEX. “We are confident that our pricing strategy will more than compensate for the sudden runup in input cost inflation we have experienced. We remain optimistic regarding outlook, as most of our markets are operating at high-capacity utilization and sustainable midcycle levels that will be supported by monetary and fiscal stimulus, while others are just beginning an upcycle.”

www.AggBusiness.com


EUROPE

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

| | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER MARCH/APRIL2021 2021 | VOL.15 VOL.15 ISSUE ISSUE NO.6 NO.2 | www.AggBusiness.com www.AggBusiness.com

A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO AGGREGATES BUSINESS EUROPE AND AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINES GIVES YOU THE AGG BUSINESS eNEWSLETTER EVERY TWO WEEKS

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 || Vol.9 MARCH/APRIL 2021 Vol.9 ISSUE ISSUE No.6 No.2 || www.AggBusiness.com www.AggBusiness.com

Shining a light on sustainability

Proud Titans past, fine future Big-screen A major washing Powerscreen unveils Titan plant manufacturer builds onscreens its rich p19 history p28 secondary scalping

Big green gains to be had when choosing aggregates industry portable power solutions p37

On to another washing winner Tunisian quarry firm SOMEVAM acquires second CDE plant p28

INTERVIEW IQ’s Julian Smallshaw is firmly INTERVIEW established quarrying’s César Luacesas Frades: The 24/7 learned friend p10 p08 aggregates advocate

MARKET REPORT REPORT MARKET Germany’s resilient projects construction How infrastructure are & aggregates primed p51 driving Easternsectors Europeare resurgence for growth in 2021 p41

ABE MA2021.indd ABND2021.indd 1 1

15/04/2021 10:00:18 08:51:12 06/12/2021

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW Lafarge Egypt CEO Solomon PPC’s Mokate Ramafoko on the how Baumgartner on building theEgypt SA giant is finding p08 solace in its of tomorrow international business p08

ABIND2021 MA2021Cover.indd Cover.indd 1 1 ABI

IN T ED & P PRINTED & POOSST • PR T •

QUARRY PROFILE Metso Outotec support for Arezki’s big Senegalese highway project p12

MARKET REPORT The great race to meet China’s insatiable aggregates demand p14

MARKET REPORT South Korea’s major road and residential building fuelling aggregates demand p14

CRUSHER LINERS How significant are crusher liners in the overall cost equation of running a crusher? p45

T AA R B RB O I NT O NN F O OTTPPRRI N F OO

TED & RIINNTED & PPOOS STT PPR ••

PONSI B RREESSPONSI BLYLY• • EDED

T AA R R BB O I NT O NN F O OTTPPRRI N F OO

PONSI B RREESSPONSI BLLYY• • EEDD

TTO C OR RR C REED U D UCCEE OOUU

SURFACE DRILL RIGS AND BREAKERS ENGINES – PART 2 Automated systems Simple butthe advanced changing face of surface off -road power drill & blast p37p33

TO TO C R C RREE DDUUCCEEOOUU R

15/04/2021 09:54:16 08:55:34 06/12/2021

Get all the latest news, products and developments with unlimited access to aggbusiness.com, two eNewsletters every month, six printed issues a year of each edition and specialised supplements

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE AT ROPLREG.COM

FOLLOW US ON Facebook @AggBusiness

LinkedIn Aggregates Business Magazine

Twitter @Agg_Business


INTERVIEW

Helping to build the Egyptian tomorrow 08

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


INTERVIEW

By supplying its building materials to contractors building Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC) in Cairo and new tourism-linked infrastructure, Lafarge Egypt is playing a key role in constructing the Egypt of tomorrow. Company CEO Solomon Baumgartner spoke to V L Srinivasan

S

olomon Baumgartner likes to highlight Lafarge Egypt’s supply of high-quality building materials to major national infrastructure works since the 19th century. In 1864, the company’s premium quality hydraulic limestone helped build the Suez Canal, part of the Silk Road connecting Europe with Asia. “Here we are, after 157 years, continuing to play a vital role in the construction of Egypt’s different sectors,” he says, proudly. “Our products are being used on building projects in the country’s main tourist locations like Marrassi, Pyramisa Beach Resort Sahl Hasheesh, Cairo Festival City Mall and El Gouna. We are also supplying materials for the Egyptian Grand Museum which will open soon.” In the transport sector, Baumgartner says Lafarge Egypt’s extensive highways construction materials supply expertise enabled the company to help complete the 170km-long Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road

in 2012, optimising construction costs and maximising road service life. Lafarge Egypt also supplied building materials for the popular 45km-long Shoubra–Banha Highway. “Lafarge Egypt is today contributing to one of the most technically challenging projects in Africa: the Cairo Metro project, supplying over 900,000m³ of various concrete types and delivering optimum solutions that best suit this megaproject’s construction needs,” says Baumgartner. Lafarge Egypt also supplied materials for the construction of airports across Egypt, including Cairo International Airport Terminal 2; and Borg el Arab and Sharm El Sheikh international airports. The company has also supplied building materials to the Cairo-Alexandria desert road project, metro stations, and the Suez Tunnel. Baumgartner adds: “We participated in building power stations, such as New Cairo power station, and the Ain Sokhna and Kuraimat power plants. Our products were also widely used in the construction

of the American University in Cairo and El Galala University. We also supplied materials for Hospital 57357, which is dedicated for children afflicted with cancer.” New Administrative Capital Project Egypt’s New Administrative Capital is a new city megaproject under construction since 2015. Located 45 kilometres east of Cairo, a megacity with a population of nearly 20 million, and just outside the Second Greater Cairo Ring Road, the NAC will become the new administrative and financial capital of Egypt, housing the main government departments and ministries and foreign embassies. Covering a 700km² area, the NAC will have a population of 6.5 million people. It is hoped that it will significantly reduce Cairo’s notorious congestion and pollution. Baumgartner says Lafarge Egypt has been involved in the project from day one, cooperating with all stakeholders using the company’s building products. “We were involved in the new NAC’s power plant, built

Lafarge Egypt’s five-line El Sokhna cement plant

“Lafarge Egypt is contributing to one of the most technically challenging projects in Africa; the Cairo Metro project, supplying over 900,000 m³ of various concrete types”

www.AggBusiness.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

09


INTERVIEW

over 175 acres and producing 4800MW of electrical energy. Our products are also used in the roads, bridges, tunnels, and the Green River recreational project of the new capital.” Lafarge Egypt has, he says, also played a key role in many of Cairo’s most prominent recent infrastructure projects, including the 1,266ft, 80 floor-Iconic Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Africa. Lafarge Egypt’s operations One of 70 company members within the Holcim Group, the Switzerland-headquartered global building materials giant, Lafarge Egypt established one of the MENA (Middle East, North Africa) region’s largest cement plants at Ain Sokhna in 1997. It acquired Egyptian Cement Company from Orascom in 2008. Baumgartner says the Ain Sokhna plant has five production lines with an overall capacity of 9.5 tons. Besides cement production, Lafarge Egypt also has a near 2 million m³ ready-mixed concrete business. Lafarge Egypt launched Geocycle Egypt in 2011 which feeds the Lafarge Cement plant in Ain Sokhna with refuse-derived fuel (RDF), an alternative to fossil fuel. “Strictly complying with the ecological standards in Egypt, Geocycle has meticulously chosen RDF waste management solutions for their economical- and environmentalfriendly nature supporting green building,” Baumgartner notes. Lafarge Egypt’s CEO says the company employs “1,500 well-trained and highly qualified” employees. The firm’s portfolio

10

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

ABOVE: The American University in Cairo building BELOW: Solomon Baumgartner in front of El Momtaz-branded bagged Pozzolanic cement

includes a cement bags plant which serves the entire Egyptian cement industry along with other sectors in the country, producing roughly 330 million bags a year. Baumgartner says that the company is committed to helping build a greener and smarter future that works for all. “We provide sustainable building materials to meet the needs of our customers, whether they are individual homebuilders, large construction companies, architects or local artisans. “We are a big contributor to national projects with our EcoPlanet Prime cement, which reduces carbon emissions by 60%, having been used to build Suez Canal tunnels, Cairo’s Iconic Tower, and the Cairo Metro. We also supported the Egyptian government by supplying huge quantities of cement in a very short time for the country’s new electrical power plants.” COVID-19 impact Baumgartner says the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the Egyptian building materials sector and the wider global cement industry. “Construction of individual housing units, which are linked to a major chunk of cement purchases, has been harshly affected by the pandemic. Companies don’t tend to invest in construction in times of crisis. Additionally, a ministerial decision to halt licences for building, expanding, upgrading, amending, or supporting construction work for private housing in Egypt’s major cities has increased pressure on the cement sector.” On a more optimistic note, Baumgartner

www.AggBusiness.com


INTERVIEW

says more recent Egyptian government guidance and investment in new infrastructure projects are creating new business opportunities for the national cement and construction sectors. “Lafarge Egypt has developed an integrated plan to reduce costs and create export opportunities. We also called for the support of the Egyptian government to intervene regarding overcapacity difficulties, which resulted in the latest decision capping concrete production for one year. “Another challenge from the COVID-19 pandemic was to keep our employees safe. We have continued to live up to our core value to maintain health and safety of our employees, acting swiftly and with great solidarity to protect employees, contractors and all our stakeholders.” Recently, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Health, Lafarge Egypt has hosted medical teams that have vaccinated all company employees and contractors. “We are also committed to support our community, hand in hand with civil society institutions we provided and continue to provide masks, sanitizers, sharing in repairing ventilators of public hospitals and providing food boxes to labour in the informal sector that lost their jobs. We believe in our corporate social responsibility and have very successful efforts in the field of health,” says Baumgartner.

Cairo’s Iconic Tower

www.AggBusiness.com

Lafarge Egypt’s CEO enjoys a light-hearted moment with a company employee

Climate-change concerns Climate change is a crucial issue, not only for cement manufacturers but for the whole planet. The largest driver of global warming is the emissions of gases, of which more than 90% are carbon dioxide and methane. “Lafarge Egypt and the Holcim Group are passionately committed to building a net-zero future,” stresses Baumgartner.

Lafarge Egypt is contributing to Holcim’s 2030 goals of lowering its target for carbon dioxide intensity in cement to 475kg net CO2 per ton of cementitious material and partnering with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to become the first global building materials company to sign the SBTi-administered ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ pledge to help restrict the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Baumgartner says that due to its commitment to make cities greener, build smarter infrastructure and improve living standards, Lafarge Egypt has been working on many aspects to share in accelerating the transition to net zero by developing green building solutions like ECOPlanet and ECOPlanet Prime. The company’s El Momtazbranded Pozzolanic cement produces 10% less carbon emissions than standard cement recipes. He adds: “Lafarge Egypt is driving the circular economy across everything it does to keep materials in use for as long as possible, giving them a second, third and fourth life and using only what is needed to preserve nature. “Digitalisation is a major tool that we use to increase our sustainability efforts. We staged a virtual training programme for journalists from various media outlets, raising awareness of sustainable materials production practices and systems. For that programme, Lafarge Egypt joined forces with prominent professionals in the sustainable development field including the Engineering at Consultations Group (ECG), Plastic Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).” Clearly, for Baumgartner, Lafarge Egypt’s future success must come with a bright green tinge. AB

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

11


QUARRY PROFILE

METSO OUTOTEC SUPPORT FOR HIGHWAY UPGRADE

The Arezki Group was looking for an aggregates production solution to upgrade a section of Senegal’s national road N1 and create new company sites at both ends of the critically important road. That’s where Metso Outotec stepped in. Guy Woodford reports

T

he Arezki Group (Arezki) was established in 1962. Starting from the transport and supply of building materials to various European multi-national companies based in Senegal and Gambia, the company has evolved through the decades until recent years when it has undertaken major construction projects for roads, airports and large bridges. In the period from 2015 to 2020, Arezki had nearly US$600 million of scheduled and ongoing work. The N1 road is the national road of Senegal. lt connects the west and the east of the country – starting at Dakar Port, the farthest point of the West African coast, and continuing around 650km up to Kidira, located at Senegal’s eastern border with Mali. Connecting two countries, the road is of strategic importance for the whole West Africa region. A 180km section of the N1 between the city of Tambacounda and Kidira, in central Senegal’s Tambacounda region, was especially in need of a rebuild. In order to upgrade this road section, Arezki needed to upgrade its existing Mansa Dala plant,

12

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

situated around 60kms from Tambacounda city, to increase its production capacity and build an entirely new plant site at Kidira, thus ensuring efficient and high-quality aggregates production for this and other construction works. Among the N1 road project delivery challenges facing Arezki were the bad condition of that section of the strategically important road, the project’s inland site locations, with not enough infrastructure to transport materials for highly efficient road construction, not enough aggregates and quality for various other construction works in the whole region, a short project delivery time, and myriad difficulties linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arezki already owned two Metso Outotec crushing plants - one Metso Outoec modular Nordplant plant setup in Guinee Bissau, bordering Senegal to the north and Guinea to the southeast, and a plant in Mansa Dala. Having already formed an excellent relationship with Metso Outotec, Arezki once again put its trust in the Finlandheadquartered global premium quarrying plant manufacturer.

After detailed analysis of Arezki’s requirements for its new plant setup, the company placed an order for two new aggregates solutions - a Nordplant 5.1 complete plant and a Nordplant Compact HP200 CVB1845-4M. Both offer pre-designed solutions for high aggregates quality and fast delivery, a full package including machines, steelworks, conveyors, and electrical equipment, managed engineering, transport, and supervision for mechanical and electrical assembling, plant commissioning and on-site training for operators. The purchased plants also featured a new design and advanced technologies. The new Metso Outotec plants offered Arezki increased aggregates production capacity and processes efficiency, high aggregates quality, lower operating costs, and sufficient supply of aggregates for other infrastructure construction. The new Kidira site has a complete Nordplant 5.1 crushing and screening plant with intermediate stockpile. It includes VF561-2V C120 2x HP300 CVB1845-4M, and CVB2060-4M units. This full solution including machines, steelworks, conveyors

www.AggBusiness.com


QUARRY PROFILE

Arezki’s Kidira site featuring a Metso Outotec Nordplant 5.1 crushing and screening plant

Metso Outotec is helping the Arezki Group create vital new highways infrastructure in Senegal and electrical equipment was delivered by the Metso Outotec team. Kidira’s end product includes aggregates fraction for road applications 0-3, 3-8, 8-16, 16-25mm and 25-50mm on demand to fulfill the West Africa region’s needs. Close to the existing customer plant in Mansa Dala, at the same site, an independent solution was implemented - a new Nordplant Compact HP200 CVB1845-4M crushing line . lts main purpose is to increase aggregates capacity and quality and produce more fractions for road applications: 0-3, 3-8, 8-16mm. On this site, the Metso Outotec team also delivered a full package including machines, steelworks, conveyors and electrical equipment. This is a compact skid solution to be integrated into the existing plant in Mansa Dala but suitable to be easily relocated in another two existing crushing plants, including the new Nordplant 5.1 in Kidira. lt must be highlighted that implementation of this major plant installation project happened in 2020 – at an intense and difficult time due to the COVID-19 situation. During the pandemic, it was challenging for Metso Outotec supervisors to travel or continuously work on-site while respecting safety distances and protocols. Also, the team experienced challenges with logistic operations and shipments. Talking about the new crushing line in Mansa Dala, the plant’s manager, Salif

www.AggBusiness.com

Arezki’s Mansa Dala site featuring a Metso Outotec Nordplant Compact HP200 CVB1845-4M crushing line

Arezki’s new Metso Outotec plants offer greater aggregates production capacity and processes efficiency, high aggregates quality, and lower operating costs

Sow, said: “We chose this module because we wanted to improve the quality of the gravel. We have been using it for more than five months and we are very satisfied with the performance which is excellent. Thank you for the good delivery service you had set up so that we could receive the crusher as soon as possible. Your professionalism has appealed to us a lot, so we wish you a very good continuation.”

Abdel Halim Gara, plant manager of Kidira’s new full Nordplant 5.1, said: “We chose this installation to increase our production but also to have a better quality of gravel. We’re satisfied as the plant has performed well since installation. Thank you for respecting the delivery deadlines and also for accompanying us throughout this project. We hope that this partnership will always be beneficial for our two companies.” AB © AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

13


MARKET REPORT

Powerscreen Warrior 1800 and Chieftain 2100X screeners at work in Xinjiang

Race hots up to best meet China’s insatiable demand Terex Materials Processing brand Powerscreen has taken a significant step forward in realising its Chinese market ambitions by opening a new state-of-the-art production facility in a district of Shanghai. Meanwhile, China’s huge aggregates-hungry infrastructure development and green mining revolution is gathering momentum. Guy Woodford reports

T

he commercial potential for Western aggregates crushing and screening plant manufacturers in China is enormous. Just ask Martin Conway, Terex Materials Processing's (Terex MP) sales director in the country. Since 2019, Conway has been a key figure in Terex MP brand Powerscreen's impressive ascent in the over 20 billion tonnes a year Chinese aggregates market. A new manufacturing facility in the Jiading district of Shanghai is, says Conway, huge for Powerscreen's long-term growth plans in the domestic China market. The 18,000m² facility allows the brand to begin production in China, accelerating manufacturing plans by around two years. The Jiading facility will also expedite Powerscreen’s growth in China without impacting production volumes at its other global facilities. A dedicated team from Northern Ireland is overseeing the production scale-up in China,

14

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

ensuring processes are to the same robust standard of Powerscreen's manufacturing centre of excellence in Dungannon, County Tyrone. Powerscreen equipment is onsite for the training of the China factory team, and the first locally produced machines will come off the line early in the new year. Jiading facility-produced plants will initially feature models from Powerscreen’s comprehensive range of jaw and impactor crushers and its Chieftain and Warrior range of screens. Terex MP’s commercial team is based in Shanghai, and the new Jiading facility is less than 200 kilometres from Terex Aerial Work Platforms’ (Terex MP) Genie brand facility in Changzhou. "The significance of the new factory cannot be understated. Showing a commitment to the Chinese market is incredibly important to Chinese customers. They've seen international companies come and go. China, for us, is an incredibly

important market and we are fully committed to a long-term future there. "Meeting with our dealers recently, a big thing that kept coming up was the factory investment. It means that when they invest in personnel and Powerscreen equipment and marketing, they know we are here long term. "We are having an open day at the Jiading factory in March next year. Mr Hu [Youyi, president of China Aggregates Association] and Professor Chen from the China Waste Recycling Commission (CWRC) will be invited. I've got a very good working relationship with Professor Chen and have been to several CWRC events. Mr Hu realises the significance of Powerscreen investing in a Chinese facility", said Conway. Powerscreen first entered China in 2016 in response to huge government investment in infrastructure and legislation supporting the use of recycled materials. Since then, the brand has continued to build a growing

www.AggBusiness.com


MARKET REPORT

market presence through its China sales and service team, building its distribution network, attending industry exhibitions, and hosting customers through dealer open days. "Before I arrived in China, Powerscreen had decided to make a major investment in parts and aftermarket support. It is a critical part of our business. When customers spend on quality equipment, they want genuine parts replacement from the manufacturer – and now the new factory will supplement our supplies and customer support," continued Conway. Emphasising the vast size of the Chinese aggregates market, which generates around 1,000 crushing and screening plant sales a year, Conway says: "There were 25.2 billion tonnes of aggregates produced in China in 2020, according to figures I saw earlier this year from the China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA) figures. That production level was to help kick-start construction again once the coronavirus was back under control, with large infrastructure investment announced and money freed up. I think it was the biggest year ever in terms of aggregates production. "The eastern part of China, from Beijing down to Guangdong, is typically the biggest market, as that's where the financial hubs and export markets are. There is a lot of investment in infrastructure, in high-speed railways and new highways. However, the Chinese government is also investing in traditionally poorer areas. "The types of machines appropriate for each area of China varies. The market is very provincial. If you're in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in Guangdong, the big eastern cities, it is very much focused on recycling. Shanghai and Beijing, for instance, have no natural aggregates. Guangzhou has only a little, and Shenzhen concentrates on recycling concrete roads and reusing them in concrete-asphalt mixes. The Chinese government also has incentives for 41 cities to use more recycled aggregates in construction works.

Martin Conway, Terex MP’s China sales director "There are provinces that are impactor and scalper applications only, like in Sichuan, which is limestone quarry territory. In other provinces, like in Guangdong outside the two major cities, there's a lot of granite. That means it's all jaw-cone-screen purchases. If you go to Zhejiang, right beside Shanghai, the north of the province is mostly impactors, the south of the province is typically jaw-conescreen." I'm curious to know who Conway sees as Powerscreen's biggest competitors in China. "Like any market there are many competitors at play in China, ranging from locally made equipment by Chinese manufacturers to international brands we compete with in other global markets. "However, it’s important to remember that in China, the mobile crushing and screening plant industry is only about 11 years old. A lot of our sales team here have been involved since the beginning. Salespeople within the industry know who Powerscreen are, respect

our reputation and are keen to work with us. Having the right team in place is a huge asset as we set ourselves apart from the competition in China, and the Jiading facility will further contribute to this.” Conway says that while vast quantities of aggregates required for the New Silk Road a US$900bn project to recreate the ancient road and maritime trade route that once ran between China and the West - have created attractive commercial opportunities for Powerscreen and other Western and Chinese crushing and screening plant manufacturers, there are several other ongoing aggregateshungry Chinese infrastructure megaprojects. They include a new high-speed railway between Qinghai and Tibet and a new superhighway project linking Sichuan and Tibet. "Just one stretch of the Sichuan-Tibet superhighway is 1,000 kilometres, and around 900 kilometres of that is tunnels. You've then got the stations along the Qinghai-Tibet high-speed railway route, on top of the laying of the tracks. Cities are also investing in local roads to the new stations. "We've got contractor customers working on the Sichuan-Tibet superhighway. Part of it was at the epicentre of an earthquake that split the highway in two! It's delayed work a few months. As previously reported in ABI, China's foundation for the major adoption of greener mining (quarrying) and linked environmental commerce and tourism has been laid by the Chinese government's closure of tens of thousands of smaller environmentally harmful quarries across the vast country. This, coupled with a more diligent approach to granting new quarry licences, based on meeting tougher green production and site

Powerscreen’s Jiading production facility

www.AggBusiness.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

15


MARKET REPORT

restoration criteria, has reduced the number of Chinese quarries by around 40%, from more than 300,000 to 180,000. Most of the remaining are larger quarries that are demonstrating or are willing to prove their commitment to more ecologically sustainable aggregates production. I ask Conway for his take on China's green mining revolution. "We and our dealers are heavily involved in the green mining switch. I have visited many of the sites that are looking to be part of it. "A few months ago, we gave a presentation to the municipal government in Chongqing about how to recover a major green mine. When I say a major green mine, I mean an area that's twice the size of a big quarry in the UK or Ireland. "Green mining is part of the Chinese government's latest Five-Year Plan [2021-2025]. It is good to know what the government is going to invest in as what is promised will typically always happen.” Looking to the future, Conway thinks technology advances will continue along the environmental route. "Many small producers in China would use stationary electric equipment [if it was more readily available]. Greater plant electrification is where the Chinese market is heading and developing our electric plant range is one of our key focuses. “2022 will be incredibly significant for us in terms of the electrification, as we aim to introduce four models to deal with the demand from customers who need the benefit of mobility, but also the necessity of lower emissions on-site. The environmental focus from the government on emissions, added to safe operation within tunnel projects, has provided the opportunities to enhance our electric offering and tailor this to the wider needs of the extensive China market. We all need to be a lot more conscious of the environment and reducing carbon emissions is a major thing." China has powered through the COVID-

“It takes one to two years to build a modern aggregates-producing enterprise” Hu Youyi, president of China Aggregates Association

19 pandemic with an impressive 8% growth in aggregates demand anticipated in 2021, according to GAIN (Global Aggregates Information Network), a voluntary global coalition of aggregates associations. GAIN says there are reports of difficulty in meeting burgeoning national aggregates demand, which now amounts to 50% of global production. Data show that as of 30 June 2021, China’s average price of manufactured sand was 103 yuan/ton (US$16.12); the average price of crushed stone was 96 yuan/ton ($15.03); the average price of natural sand was 136 yuan/ ton ($21.29). Speaking to Economic Daily and China Building Materials News, Hu Youyi, president of the China Aggregates Association (CAA), says China is in the process of developing greener and higher quality industrial working practices and output, including in the aggregates sector. “At the same time, there is a vigorous promotion of

infrastructure construction, and the demand for aggregates is large,” he stresses. Hu said the closure of non-environmentally friendly aggregates production sites, while simultaneously not approving new greener sites, had led to a notable current reduction in supply to infrastructure construction projects. He added: “Outdated aggregatesproduction capacity has been eliminated, and non-environmentally friendly enterprises have been closed down, but it takes one to two years to build a modern aggregatesproducing enterprise.” Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is another major Western original equipment manufacturer with a strong presence in the Chinese market. Quoting CCMA figures, Sam Lu, head of sales support & dealer development, Volvo CE Region China, says the Chinese quarrying/mining loading and hauling machines market is set to see 14.2% yearon-year growth in 2021, with a good mix

Sam Lu, Volvo CE Region China head of sales support & dealer development

Two of Dong Sheng’s Volvo CE machines

16

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


MARKET REPORT

of domestic and international players doing good business. Lu says a 20% year-on-year loader and hauler unit sales increase is also anticipated in 2022, as China’s infrastructure development work picks up its already impressive pace. “In China’s 14th five-year plan covering the period of 2021-2025, there are key projects with high demands for aggregates/quarrying machines such as the Belt & Road Initiative, Xiong’an New Area, Guangdong-HongkongMacao Greater Bay Area, Sichuan-Tibet Railway, and hydropower station construction in Xinjiang and Tibet,” says Lu. Asked what Chinese quarrying and construction customers are looking for in their loaders and haulers, Lu said: “For prolonged use in challenging site conditions, reliable and durable models are needed to ensure machine uptime. Cost per ton is another critical factor. Customers can lower that cost with machines supplying high productivity, low fuel consumption and less maintenance needs.” Lu says that to meet carbon-reduction goals and adhere to wider Chinese environmental protection policies in China, aggregates quarrying sites are now upgrading their machines to higher efficiency, lower carbon-output models. He adds: “Digitalisation is also changing how construction and quarrying machinery OEMs like Volvo CE interact with the new generation of customers. For larger production machines that require more interaction between customer and dealer, it will be harder for buyers to make an online purchase. However, it will be easier to go digital and embrace e-commerce purchasing trends for smaller, simpler, electric compact machines that usually require less maintenance due to lower usage.” Located in Sichuan province, Dong Sheng Construction Material Company (Dong Sheng) is one of Volvo CE’s key account customers in its Chinese aggregates business segment.

An XCMG XDE240 rigid dump truck among the manufacturer’s machines working at a coal mine in Shanxi, northwest China Dong Sheng has a long partnership with Volvo CE and has been using Volvo CE excavators and wheeled loaders as its main loading units. “Starting from owning medium-size excavators, they have now expanded their fleet gradually, including our largest products such as L350H and EC950E,” explains Lu. “Dong Sheng recognised the high fuel efficiency characteristic of Volvo CE machines which has brought about significant cost saving compared with other brands. “Another factor of Dong Sheng’s success today is that they have adopted large machines for their production, realising a higher efficiency that larger machine brings with, generating higher profits. For example, they were one of the first companies to use Volvo CE’s L250G wheeled loader in China, replacing several five ton wheeled loaders from domestic brands with one Volvo L250G. Less operator cost is realised

through higher machine availability and productivity, and Dong Sheng has placed subsequent orders for several L260H and L350H wheeled loaders.” Lu says Volvo CE will soon unveil more large excavator models such as the EC500, EC550, EC500 Hammer to meet evolving demands of aggregates-production customers. Lu notes that the new models will fill the gap between the EC480 and EC750DL, bringing higher productivity and fuel efficiency. “The EC550 will come with advanced IMVT technology that brings great fuel efficiency while the hammer version models will improve second-break efficiency, ensuring durability and reliability in tough conditions.” Chinese quarrying, mining and construction machine giant XCMG notes that China’s sand and gravel consumption experienced a long period of rapid growth to 2014, peaking at 18.69 billion tons that

XCMG XDA40 articulated dump trucks at work

www.AggBusiness.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

17


MARKET REPORT

year, after which it entered a relatively stable period during which tonnage fluctuated between 17 and 18 billion. “Companies participating in the competition for business within the industry originate from four major segments: the private sector, the cement sector, the hydropower sector, and the traffic construction engineering sector, of which large groups operating in cement traffic construction engineering have entered the market in recent years. Today, the sand and gravel market is characterised by high gross profits, with profit concentration remaining an issue that still needs to be tackled,” says a spokesperson for the Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, eastern China-based manufacturer. “Resource costs vary widely by region, while the structural shortage of product is obvious. In addition, the bidding price for resources continues to hit new highs, with state-owned enterprises increasing their efforts to compete for sand and gravel resources, and non-traditional firms competing at the low end. At the same time, environmental investments continue to increase the cost pressure on all players, while unpredictable changes in policies at the local level remain a constant risk. “The industry also faces further challenges including high logistics costs and poor logistics, as well as difficulties in the raising of financing. In developed countries, equipment that is mobile accounts for 60%

of all products, whereas in China mobile equipment used for crushing has a relatively brighter market prospect due the country’s environmental protection policies.” “At present, China's aggregates/ quarrying industry needs to upgrade to reach the quality levels that are generally expected today,” said XCMG vice general manager for excavators and general manager for marketing, Zhang Fengting. “However, being able to reach those quality levels is a relative concept, which can be simply understood as neither something that seeks a high profit, nor the pursuit of a large scaling up of the business. In order to do so, one needs balanced development.” Zhang states that green mine construction means “more than just planting flowers and grass, but the rational utilization and in-depth development of technologies, mine construction processes and resources”. He continues: “All these require companies with strength to make more reasonable and full use of these resources. “Traditional aggregates/quarrying companies have given the general public the impression of being scattered, disorderly and, generally speaking, of poor quality. Most of them are small players, producing goods that comply with the lowest of standards and meeting those low-quality requirements under poor management. Over recent years, China has adjusted the policy for supporting the growth of

the sand and gravel industry, facilitating the active engagement of large stateowned enterprises, cement producers and mining companies in the sand and gravel business. From the perspective of resource utilisation and green mine construction, the participation of the larger firms in the industry may be more helpful to the sand and gravel industry's transition to an overall higher quality level.” Zhang notes that in 2020, XCMG Excavator teamed up with China Sha Shi Gu Liao Wang (CSSGLW) to conduct a countrywide survey of how best to raise the quality of the Chinese sand and gravel industry. To date, the survey has been completed by industry businesses in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan and Hubei provinces, as well as in the city of Chongqing. XCMG has also assisted in the completion and release of the list of China’s Top 20 sand and gravel producers in 2020 and the 2020 Edition of the Distribution Map of the most well-known large and mediumsized sand and gravel production lines in China. We will be keen to report on the findings of the completed XCMG-CSSGLW Chinese sand and gravel market survey in a future edition of ABI. In the meantime, the race continues to provide ever more sophisticated plant technology and linked services packages to customers in the world’s biggest aggregates market. AB

Trimble Insight provides real-time operations visibility to improve performance and productivity. See target vs. actual production, delays, downtime and more, so you have the confidence to make more informed decisions. Insight supports a mixed fleet of all your loaders, excavators, haul trucks, and conveyor belts to track productivity from the pit to stockpile. ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS | DASHBOARDS | NOTIFICATIONS

©2021 Trimble Inc. PN TC-329 (05/21)

Actionable Insights

Email aggregates@trimble.com or learn more at trimble.com/insight

18

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


CRUSHING & SCREENING

Powerscreen’s new Titan range has been specifically designed to cater for secondary and recycling screening applications

Packing a big punch in crushing Major crushing and screening manufacturers are launching a range of new models, designed for use in a variety of applications in addition to offering greater capacity and added flexibility. Liam McLoughlin reports

A

new range of secondary scalping screens has been launched that is designed to provide a cost-effective solution in high-volume, smaller sized, or recycling applications. The Titan range from Northern Ireland-based Powerscreen includes three models — the Titan 600, Titan 1300 and Titan 2300 — and is a simplification of Powerscreen’s highperforming Warrior range. The new line aims to utilise key features from the Warrior machines that have proved popular with customers and tailor them to a different section of the market at an attractive price point. Sean Loughran, business line director of Powerscreen, says: “As we continue to review the global market, we are seeing a split in the applications in which our Warrior range is being used. While some are screening largesized materials, others are being used as secondary scalpers, such as after a crusher, or in the recycling market—screening topsoil, C&D [construction and demolition] waste and biomass materials.” He adds that the Titan range has been specifically designed as a more cost-effective machine to cater for those secondary or recycling screening applications. “It has both a range of features and unrivalled performance that will increase the bottom line of any of its owners,” Loughran says. The Titan 1300 is designed to pack a punch while having a compact footprint for ease of transport. Comprising an extralarge-capacity twin drive feeder at the rear of the machine with an 1100mm feeder belt, the feeder comes with hydraulically folding www.AggBusiness.com

extensions to allow for side loading of the machine, can withstand heavy loads due to having impact bars under the belt in place of impact rollers, and has a folding rear door to allow for maximum versatility. The highly aggressive screenbox has a total screening area of 10m2 (13.1yd2). Complete with a variable angle to allow for tailoring of the machine to various applications, the screen also has a lift-up functionality at discharge to ensure quick and efficient mesh changes, of which there is a huge range available as well as other media including punch plate, 3D punch plate and finger screen. Side conveyors have wide fines belts and excellent stockpiling height to rival any other comparable machine on the market. A single lever set-up results in a very quick set-up time, and while the side conveyors can be configured as either standard or fully reverse from the factory, they can also be fully configured onsite to allow both conveyors out of the same side of the machine. Each conveyor has its own independent speed control, to tailor each conveyor to its loading. Meanwhile, the Titan 1300’s tail conveyor has the optimum combination of rollers and impact slips for durability while maximising the power draw of the machine, and has a fold to minimise transport length, fitting onto the smallest of European trailers. The Titan 2300 is a completely new machine to Powerscreen in terms of concept and design, encompassing the largest belt feeder in any of the Powerscreen range at 1500mm (60”), with twin gear box drive and a combination of impact bars and impact rollers for optimum power usage. It also

has the steepest hopper ever designed by Powerscreen to enable ease of emptying without bridging, with an eye specifically on the recycling market. The body of the hopper is manufactured with wear-resistant steel and a rear folding door to take a crusher feed. A low-speed feeder is fitted as standard, with a medium speed option for low-density material which, while sacrificing some torque, can run at up to 50% faster than standard. Powerscreen says that, as with all its screens, the heart of the machine is within the screenbox itself. Neil Robinson, product and applications manager, comments: “Using our expertise gained from our last few projects such as the Warrior 2100, the Chieftain 2200 and the Chieftain 1700X, together with a mix of computer-based design and analysis and real-world testing, we have crafted a screenbox that will match and exceed any similar-sized single shaft screen in the market. Using a highspecification drive, the machine is able to take on a wide range of applications from smaller direct feeder, secondary feed after a crusher to lightweight recycling market.” The machine also has an adjustable screen angle, with media options including mesh (both woven and welded), punch plate, 3D punch plate, finger screens and finger and punch plate combination. Finally, the Titan 2300 has full-access walkways down both sides of the screenbox, uniquely designed to be fully regulatory compliant. Hybrid Dual Power is also available on the Titan 2300, being powered using standard diesel or connected to an external electricity supply once the machine has been set up. The side conveyors are standardised © AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

19


CRUSHING & SCREENING

at 1050mm (42”) plain belts, with chevron belts also available if required. With a generous stockpiling height, the plant is fully customisable both in the field and from the factory with conveyors that can be reversed, can be discharged on the same side, or can be converted to a two-way split. To cater for the recycling market, there is an option for magnetic head drums on all three conveyors to carry the metallic material back down the conveyor and away from the stockpile. The tail conveyor features a 1600mm chevron belt, the widest in the Powerscreen range, with a combination of impact slips and rollers as standard to remove the need for full-length skirting and reduce the power draw of the conveyor. Similar to the Titan 1300, the large tracks of the Titan 2300 ensure a stable working platform but have a high tracking speed to allow highest versatility onsite. Powerscreen says that the Titan 1300 and Titan 2300 have both undergone rigorous testing in various applications to ensure that they excel in every job they are placed in. The Titan 1300 has worked on a sand and gravel application in Germany, while the Titan 2300 has surpassed expectations in various quarries throughout Ireland as well as in a biomass application. Sean Keenan, Powerscreen applications training manager, said: “Overall it’s fair to say that our customers have seen the Titan machines enabling them to process higher volume of quality material when compared to their previous units.” Metso Outotec is launching two new models to the Lokotrack mobile crushing and screening series suitable for aggregates customers. The new Lokotrack LT200HPX and Lokotrack LT220GP compact mobile cone crushers, available globally from October 27, are claimed to bring up to 30% more capacity and added flexibility compared to earlier models. The launch models have a range of new

The new Powerscreen Titan 1300 scalping screen is designed for ease of transport features that are designed to improve the efficiency of customer’s operations. They are built on the same new chassis and customers can choose between the two cone crusher types and various optional features based on their specific needs. The Lokotrack LT200HPX is equipped with a two-deck pre-screen designed to provide more capacity. Heavy-duty chassis and wide conveyors facilitate high throughput, and a direct v-belt crusher drive ensures high fuel efficiency. Service and transportation are facilitated with extensive service platforms that fold down for transport. LT200HPX can be combined with Lokotrack LT106 and LT116 jaw crushers and Lokotrack ST3.8 and ST4.8 mobile screens. The Lokotrack LT220GP provides additional crushing power and can be

equipped with a pre-screen or with a belt feeder. The LT220GP is designed to fit well with Lokotrack LT120/LT120E mobile jaw crushers and ST4.10 mobile screen for highcapacity aggregates production. “The new models and our end-to-end offering displayed in the Lokotrack Liveroom, demonstrate our focus on improving aggregates customers’ operations and bottom line,” said Kimmo Anttila, vice president, Lokotrack solutions at Metso Outotec. “With these new models of 300 metric tons per hour capacity and 40 metric ton transport weight, the customers have even more choice and flexibility to select from our cone crusher range. Lokotrack is a sustainable and future-proof choice for any type of aggregate production.”

Metso Outotec’s new crushers include the LT200HPX

20

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


CRUSHING & SCREENING

Ben Bennett Jr.’s new Sandvik QJ241 jaw crusher in action

Metso Outotec offers extensive services and parts support for Lokotrack, including for example spare and wear parts recommendation lists and kits, full container load parts service, inspections and extended warranties and the Metrics remotemonitoring solution. Terex-owned EvoQuip has been celebrating five successful years in business via a virtual hour-long celebration attended by almost 100 distributors around the world. Launched at Hillhead in 2016 to bring a simplified range of equipment to the crushing and screening industry, EvoQuip claims to have now grown to become one of the top three compact crushing and screening brands in the world. Starting out with the Bison 35 crusher, capable of outputting up to 30 tons per hour, EvoQuip has introduced a range of innovative new products with the Cobra 290R now being the biggest crusher in its range, capable of outputting 320 US tph. On the screening side, EvoQuip’s products have evolved to encompass the Harrier 220, a small and robust machine designed for recycling, composting, topsoil, landscaping, and contract building industries, capable of outputting 90 US tph, to the highly aggressive scalping screen Colt 1600, which was built upon the features which have made the Colt 1000 a global success. The Colt 1600 is the largest screen in the EvoQuip range and can process up to 661 US tph, depending on application. EvoQuip has appointed Moerschen Mobile Aufbereitung as its authorised distributor for Western Germany. Moerschen will supply the full range of equipment from Northern Ireland-based EvoQuip including compact crushing, screening and conveying equipment, genuine spare parts, and machinery maintenance throughout the West of Germany. Moerschen is an expert in the mineral processing and extraction industry, moving into the mobile crushing and screening world in 2015. The company offers a one-stop spot

www.AggBusiness.com

for customers, with expertise in service, maintenance, construction, production, engineering, mobile technology, rental and electrical engineering. Jamie Mairs, territory manager at Terexowned EvoQuip, said: “Moerschen have a wealth of experience in the industry and are a welcome addition to the EvoQuip family. Focusing on Western Germany allows them to build strong relationships with their customers and provide superior support for our world-class compact crushing, screening and conveying equipment.” Ben Bennett Jr. took delivery of its fifth mobile crushing and screening unit – a QJ241 model - from Sweden-based Sandvik for its quarrying operation in Derbyshire, UK, in July. These units are used to crush limestone

to produce high-quality grades of calcium carbonate for a variety of applications, including the pharmaceutical industry, and is commonly used in the manufacture of toothpaste. Ben Bennett Jr. is a family-run business, which was founded in 1883. The company currently owns and operates a steel rolling mill and a limestone quarry, both of which were acquired by Ben Bennett Jr. in 1935. Its head office is located in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and its quarry, Grange Mill Quarry, is situated in Derbyshire. The company employs around 45 people at the quarry and there are two shifts during the day and night to keep up with demand. Its services include the production of aggregates and bulk tanker products for supply and transport to a wide variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, food, rubber, glass, plastics, sealants and many others, and it exports globally. Grange Mill Quarry lies in the White Peak of Derbyshire which is composed mostly of

Representatives from BST Becker Sanierungstechnik, who bought the first Colt 1600 compact scalping screen from new EvoQuip dealer Mobile Aufbereitung

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

21


CRUSHING & SCREENING

several types of limestone deposited during marine conditions in the early Carboniferous Period around 330 million years ago. Limestone, a sedimentary rock, formed and accumulated in clear, warm, shallow seas with localised reef complex formations. The limestones are composed of the shells of organisms which are made up of the mineral Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) which lived in these tropical environments. The Grange Mill deposit lies in the Bee Low Limestones which have typically thick beds and are of high chemical purity. Very few complete fossils are found in the deposit and there are no mineral veins to contaminate the limestone. This makes the material of high quality and due to its softness and low silica content, is ideal for grinding to powder and granules for use in a wide variety of products including glass production, animal feeds, rubber, sealants, carpets & adhesives. Also widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, the high-quality grades of calcium carbonate are used as an effective dietary supplement, antacid and an ingredient in baking powder and toothpaste. The quarry supplies approximately 50,000 tonnes a year to the pharmaceutical industry. To process the limestone, the material is drilled, blasted and processed by the mobile crushing and screening plant supplied by Sandvik. Ben Bennett Jr. first invested in a Sandvik unit back in 2013 and has purchased two screens, two crushers, and also a static screen over the years. Its current QJ241 mobile jaw crusher is set at a CSS of 75mm and crushes the feed material down to 40mm. This is then fed into a QA331, then a QA140 screen for processing down to 40–20mm, 20–10mm and -10mm. Needing to upgrade and replace its six-year-old mobile jaw crusher, Ben Bennett Jr. contacted Sandvik for the supply of a new unit. Andy Rawson, company director, commented: “With proximity to the customer support centre, this was a major gain for the supply of parts and local service whenever required. “The aftermarket support has been very good. People come out whenever we have needed assistance. A lot of the work we can now do ourselves as our operators are familiar with the equipment. That’s one of the reasons we continue to buy Sandvik as you don’t have to start back at square one.” The new QJ241 will come with Sandvik Optitooth jaw plates. These are included as standard on all Sandvik Q-Range jaw crushers for extended life, increased throughput and reduced fuel consumption. The new model also comes fitted with Sandvik My Fleet remote-monitoring system as standard with 7-years-complimentary data access. Access to a wide range of live machine data will help to minimise operator intervention, enable planning of service and maintenance schedules thereby maximising uptime, and achieve optimum output at all times. These new features are in addition to the standard features of the QJ241. These include hydraulic drive, enabling the crusher

22

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

to start under load; and hydraulically adjustable jaw setting to maximise output and jaw-level sensor to control the feed rate into the crusher with minimal intervention. The QJ241 is also fitted with the latest emissions-compliant engine, dustsuppression spray bars and onboard water pump as standard to minimize dust. Sandvik says these are important factors for Ben Bennett Jr. due to its location on the boundary of the Peak District National Park. The quarry operator is committed to maintaining and protecting the biodiversity of the area and employs consultants to monitor its environmental impact on the local environment. Rubble Master and its customers have been celebrating three decades of the Austrian company’s involvement in the crushing and screening market. Linz-based Rubble Master was founded on 18 September 1991 and large corporations, family-owned businesses and one-man companies use its advanced technology crushers and screening equipment. The company commented on the anniversary: “Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 situation we have no possibility to celebrate with all of you in Linz. However, we keep our fingers crossed that we can toast on 30+1 years in 2022.” Helmut Hauser, owner of Hauser Transporte based in Stumm, Austria, bought his fourth RM crusher - an RM 90GO! - in spring this year. The machine was handed

over to him by Max Keplinger, RM account manager for Tirol and Vorarlberg. “At RM, the product is just right, you receive good service and you have the personal contact,” said Hauser. “I will definitely stay with Rubble Master if I know that I can rely on everything like that.” Hauser is particularly enthusiastic about the single-deck mesh screen and the pivoting refeeding belt: “The mesh screen is easy to operate and can be transported together with the crusher. We simply unload our RUBBLE MASTER at the job site and can start crushing.” The RM 90GO! crusher recycles C&D waste, concrete and asphalt around 500 hours a year, and granite or limestone for another 500 hours. RM says that, due to their compact size, its crushers are also ideal for job sites that are difficult to access, as is evidenced in its use by Hauser Transporte at the Hintertux glacier, where rock was processed to produce road gravel. Hauser entered the processing business in 2001 when they purchased an RM 80. This area now accounts for 20% of the firm’s business and the family-owned company now employs 40 people. RM customer Günter Prast, MD of Halbeisen & Prast KG in Dornbirn, says: “Service has an extremely high priority at RM, who have had a 24-hour service hotline since the beginning, something very few suppliers offered 20 years ago. Every spare part arrives within 24 hours, which is really sensational.” AB

Hauser Transporte took delivery of its fourth Rubble Master crusher this year

www.AggBusiness.com


T O P S O I L | C & D WA S T E | C O M P O S T E D M AT E R I A L S | W O O D B Y- P R O D U C T S | O V E R B U R D E N | S E C O N D A R Y S C A L P I N G O F S A N D & G R AV E L | B L A S T E D R O C K | R I V E R R O C K

MAIL@POWERSCREEN.COM +44 7918 905 297 W W W. P O W E R S C R E E N . C O M


HAULING Bell’s B30E 4x4 hauler has been upgraded with a new transmission and chassis configuration

Higher hauling Bell is evolving its 4x4 articulated hauler range, while Doosan trucks are proving hauling heroes for a Basque quarrying company and Liebherr’s new TA 230 ADT is becoming a UK hit. Liam McLoughlin and Guy Woodford report

I

n a competitive articulated dump truck (ADT) market where the total cost of machine ownership is more critical than ever, US-headquartered manufacturer Bell says its 4x4 ADT range is a niche solution that offers the same production as 6x6 trucks at a lower overall cost. Bell adds that its 4x4 ADTs also retain all-weather suitability and provide higher utilisation compared to conventional rigid haulage solutions. The 4x4 concept, first mooted eight years ago with the 60-ton Bell B60D, has evolved to the OEM’s E-series generation and now incorporates 30-ton and 45-ton models. With the growing popularity of the trucks, Bell says it is continuing to innovate on the strong platform it has created. Bell Equipment product marketing manager Nick Kyriacos said the B45E 4x4 has recently received a new chassis with full suspension and a specifically adapted rock bin to meet the requirements of small and medium-sized mining operations even better. “As with the B60E, two oil/nitrogen shock absorbers now take over the suspension of the twin-tyred drive axle. Together with the standard adaptive ‘Comfort Ride’ front suspension, the truck offers more driving comfort adding to productivity and even better traction and braking capabilities.” In addition to an anti-slip differential, the rear axle now also offers sensor-based automatic traction control. The space and travel of the new suspension have been designed to accommodate 21.00R35 twin tyres fitted with snow chains. “We’ve also redesigned the bin because it was originally based on the B60E, which is

24

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

mostly loaded by heavy mining excavators,” said Kyriacos. “This made it less practical to load with larger wheeled loaders, which are more common in small to medium-sized quarries where these trucks come into their own.” The bin was lengthened and given a straight front wall, which along with the longer upper edge of the bin and better fill behaviour, enables faster loading with 3.5 to 6m³ wheeled loaders. “Both the maximum tipping height (6,485mm at 55°) and the large ground clearance of the chute (890mm) remain almost unchanged, meaning that the B45E 4x4 can still fit into existing infrastructures, such as crusher housings, better than a 6x6 truck with a longer bin,” Kyriacos added. The exhaust gas-heated 25m³ bin with a standard width of 4,265mm (with tailgate: 26m³/4,639mm) also marks the vehicle width, however, a narrower “Narrow” bin option of the same volume, brings the width of the Bell B45E 4x4 to less than 4m. The 4x4 range has also benefitted from Bell Equipment’s continuously evolving 6x6 ADT range in terms of drive, power, transmission, production and safety features as well as intelligent vehicle control. They feature the same six-cylinder engines from Mercedes-Benz, optimised for off-road by MTU, as their 6x6 counterparts. Commenting on the benefits of 4x4, Kyriacos added: “By removing the third axle we’ve effectively eliminated tyre scuffing and parasitic losses have been reduced. Not only does this reduce fuel and tyre running costs, to ultimately provide a lower cost per tonne of material moved, but it also reduces the

need for haul-road maintenance for further cost savings.” The B30E 4x4 recently received an upgrade with a new transmission and chassis configuration, allowing for the fitment of Michelin 875/65R25 E3 tyres, further increasing the productivity potential of the truck. As a result, Bells says the B30E 4x4 is an economical solution for bulk handling and has found a niche in tunnelling applications and confined areas such as stock yards and ready-mix plants with its tight turning circle of 14.6m. Quarrying and smaller mining operations are suited to the larger B45E 4x4 while the B60E is engineered for high productivity in mining under all-weather conditions. Canteras de Santullán, a family-owned, independent quarrying company, has purchased new Doosan equipment for the company’s operations in Bilbao, Bizkaia province, Spain. The new Doosan machines include two Doosan DA30-7 articulated dump trucks. Since its foundation in 1965, Canteras de Santullán (Canteras) has been dedicated to producing limestone products for use in the construction and industrial sectors, with an annual production of more than two million tonnes of crushed ore. Doosan equipment was chosen after a competitive bid process involving equipment from five different manufacturers. All the new machines are used to produce the limestone products and work 24 hours a day to meet demand. Pedro de Andrés Sáez, general manager of Canteras, commented on the main reasons for choosing Doosan machinery: “In the first

www.AggBusiness.com


Trailblazing

For jobsites not benefitting from full 6x6 capability, Bell Equipment’s 4x4 articulated haulers deliver.

Bell1625

Handle switchbacks on haul routes or tight turns within plant layouts without scuffing up your roads and killing your tyre life. Deliver more manoeuvrability and the same productivity for less through reduced tyre wear and road maintenance - a win for your bottom-line.

Choose Bell for the lowest fuel consumption, longest tyre life and lightest footprint. The ADT specialists with the right articulated hauler for every application.

Tel: +27 (0)11 928 9700 • E-mail: sales@bellequipment.com www.bellequipment.com

Strong Reliable Machines Strong Reliable Support


HAULING

instance, we wanted machinery with the design and features we need for the specific requirements of our production process. From the beginning, Doosan was able to offer machines adapted and configured to meet these needs. “And second, but not least, was the operational control provided by the DoosanCONNECT telematics system, available as standard on the Doosan machines. We think it is very important to monitor and control from the office the location of the machines, as well as their status, hours, fuel consumption and maintenance schedules. The DoosanCONNECT system collects all this information perfectly, offering us a complete fleet control solution.” Working alongside Canteras’s two new Doosan DL550-5 wheeled loaders, and a Doosan DX420LC-5 crawler excavator, the new DA30-7 ADTs are used for general material-handling applications to supply the stockpiling operations. Sáez continued: “The fact that all the machines use engines from the same manufacturer will also be a great advantage in the future when it comes to unifying spare parts and servicing procedures. But the most important factor of all is the aftersales technical service provided by Adal Exclusivas Generales, the official Doosan distributor in the area, with the support of Centrocar, the exclusive Doosan importer for Spain, Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique. As a result, the fleet of new Doosan equipment machinery is already providing significantly better productivity than the machines they have replaced.” Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Holcim Switzerland have partnered to jointly test and further develop the use of autonomous electric haulers in a Swiss limestone quarry. Holcim’s Gabenchopf quarry in Siggenthal has been chosen as the site for the project. Volvo AS says the battery-electric haulers currently being tested mark a groundbreaking step in the industry as they are quieter and more sustainable than conventional haulers,

One of two new Doosan DA30-7 ADTs purchased by Canteras de Santullán and are also safer. It says they are the world’s first commercially available CE-certified electric, autonomous transport solution for the quarry and cement industries. “This project showcases a sustainable transport solution that is commercially viable and combines the technology shifts of connectivity, automation and electrification,” said Nils Jaeger, president of Volvo Autonomous Solutions. “Through a strong partnership with Holcim Switzerland this will happen in a real environment driven by two committed companies dedicated to jointly presenting the future.” Simon Kronenberg, CEO of Holcim Switzerland and Italy, added: “Our participation in this project represents another step towards fulfilling our sustainability objectives: we seek solutions that are both innovative and environmentally responsible and we are constantly investing in measures to reduce our ecological footprint in order to help build a sustainable future.” For Holcim, logistics plays a major role in the world-wide efforts to reduce the impact on climate: “Here, we as a company can contribute already today while we continue to work on the development of CO2-reduced technologies and products.” Holcim says the issue of renewable energy is related and equally important. The company says it has been using 100%

renewable electrical energy at all sites since 2019 and makes a point of using only green energy for electrically powered vehicles such as the electric concrete truck mixers that are already in use. The testing and likely deployment of electric haulers in its quarry is part of Holcim’s ‘Plants of Tomorrow’ digitisation initiative. As part of this, Holcim is testing automation technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence throughout the entire production process in order to develop innovative solutions for a safer, more efficient and more sustainable cement production. “Volvo’s ambition is nothing less but to bring the future of infrastructure and transport solutions to our customers in a commercially viable way, and this innovative commercial project represents the next phase of this journey,” said Jaeger. The first of Liebherr’s new articulated dump trucks to arrive in Scotland has gone into service with long-term customer Edward MacKay, and the contractor says the manufacturer has got it spot-on with the latest TA 230 model. “I’ve not had the chance to drive the new truck but just looking at it, they have designed one of the best-looking and wellengineered trucks on the market,” said managing director Eddie Mackay. Plant and transport manager Dean Ross also gives the vehicles the thumbs-up: “There

The Mackay Liebherr dump truck line-up complete with drivers, from left to right Grant Sutherland, Gordon Taylor, Eddie Mackay, Jamie Allan and Craig Pirie

26

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


Eight decades of hauling heritage. One new name. Carved by generations of experience, with investment as a Volvo Group brand, our haulers are built to perform. Day after day. Decade after decade. Through desert heat and artic chills. Rokbak – the new name for rock-solid articulated haulers.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

rokbak.com


HAULING Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Holcim Switzerland are testing electric haulers in a Swiss limestone quarry

are going to be little niggles as there always is with new kit but the design of the TA 230 seems to give us what we require in terms of build quality. It also gives the operators what they need in a comfortable and easy-to-use truck.” The four TA 230s were given a tough baptism near Lochgilphead in Argyll where the contractor is involved in a project to upgrade overhead power lines. The haul along forest tracks is a 30-minute round trip and as Mackay explains: “We are probably at the furthest point of the haul at the moment. It will be a good test of the new trucks to see how they cope with long, laden journeys. The ground underfoot is good so that shouldn’t be an issue, but it will be a test for the operators.” Mackay was appointed to build access roads through the forests to allow contractors access to build a line of new pylons. “Our task is to win material locally and build the haul roads in a particular section,” Mackay added. “Once the construction work is completed, we then have to remove most of the roads back to the borrow pit. We undertake everything from the soil strip through the blasting process to the load, haul, and removal of the material.” On completion of the initial phase of construction, the Liebherrs joined several other trucks to haul material from the roads back to the borrow pit where a Liebherr R 956 stockpiles the incoming material. All four trucks came with tailgates for the 18.1m3 bodies, allowing them to haul loose material without concerns about losing too much material on steep climbs. The exhaustheated body is standard, as is an auto greasing system. A full array of LED lights illuminates front, sides and rear and ‘delayed access’ lighting gives the operator safe entry and exit during darker months. Following the launch of the new Rokbak brand, the Volvo-owned manufacturer’s new RA30 and RA40 articulated haulers have made their UK debut. The first Rokbak (formerly Terex Trucks) RA30 and RA40 units are now being delivered to international markets, and are also doing the rounds at public events in the UK. The new models from Motherwell, Scotland-based Rokbak were presented to

28

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

visitors to the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland and Molson Group’s open days in England. “Since the launch of the new brand took place virtually, for many UK customers, it was their first opportunity to catch a glimpse of the rock-solid haulers in person – and they were not disappointed,” said Kenny Price, regional sales manager for EMEAR (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia) at Rokbak. “The striking new name and colour are hard to miss, while the hefty build embodies Rokbak’s commitment to never letting a customer down.” Northern Ireland dealer Sleator Plant brought an RA30 to the Balmoral Show, Northern Ireland’s largest agri-food event, near Belfast this September. With the new Rokbak hauler taking pride of place, Sleator Plant won an award for Best Trade Stand. Sleator Plant specialises in the supply of machinery to the construction and materialrehandling sectors. From its workshop and parts store in Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, the company says it provides high-quality, responsive service and reliable parts availability for Rokbak customers across Northern Ireland. Rokbak dealer for Great Britain, Molson Group also introduced customers to the new articulated haulers at its open days in Bristol, this October.

The dealer has invested more than £3m in its Avonmouth depot over the last two years and was keen to show off the exciting additions to its product portfolio alongside its state-of-the-art service facilities. Molson Group placed a static RA30 and RA40 for customers to walk around at its site, as well as giving live demonstrations of the RA30 at a local quarry. Molson Group is one of the largest independent new and used equipment dealers in the UK with 13 strategically positioned locations, millions of pounds worth of parts and more than 70 fully trained service engineers. Demand for haulers is beginning to rebound in France, one of the largest off-road dump truck markets in Europe. According to Off-Highway Research’s latest equipment analysis on the market, although sales were affected by the COVID pandemic 2020, a rebound over the coming years should see volumes of rigid and articulated dump trucks return to 350 units per year or more in the medium term. This strong rebound in sales will be due partly to the abnormally low volumes last year, as well as a rise in construction work. “An important current driver is the massive investment boom in public works and residential construction amid low interest rates and state subsidies,” said the report. AB

The new Rokbak RA30 articulated hauler

www.AggBusiness.com


WASHING – PART 2

Washing up well globally New and latest aggregates washing plants from leading global manufacturers are in great demand globally. Guy Woodford reports on some of the standout solutions

T

erex Washing Systems (TWS) launched its innovative washing solution — the M1700X mobile washing screen — at the recent CQMS exhibition, Ireland’s construction and quarry machinery show. The M1700X is a redesign of the M1700 and improves the M Range of mobile washing screens manufactured by TWS that can produce up to five products (three aggregates and two sands) in applications including aggregates, recycling, industrial sands, and mining. The M1700X was featured alongside the FM120 C-2G, which allows sand to be recovered when both machines are connected. Barry McMenamin, TWS business line director, said: “The addition of the M1700X will enhance an already significant product range offered by Terex Washing Systems, meeting both market and customers’ needs for mobile washing. Our team of engineers have worked closely with our customers to develop improvements to an already high-performing machine, such as the new tracked rinser that features a redesigned high fluidisation wash box, increased standard features and improved washing efficiency.” The new integrated high fluidisation wash box maximises deck efficiency, increases media wear life and has an adjustable spray system. It also boasts increased standard features, including a standard hydraulic raise-and-lower function for quicker service access, standard hydraulic tensioning,

and one-piece catchbox for easy machine reconfiguration. Setting new standards in screen box technology, the M1700X has a heavy-duty bearing arrangement for long service life, higher levels of screening efficiency and throughput, increased serviceability and maintenance access as well as increased screen-angle adjustment that is highly adaptable for feed material variation. The model has also been redesigned with a focus on wet processing efficiency, with a 16% increase in spray capacity across all decks, industry-leading levels of catchbox sealing, innovative configurable catchbox outlets and configurable blending to maintain material specification. Additionally, the M1700X is easily transported, has a quick set-up time (typically 15 minutes), and has optional hybrid power available around the world. Speaking about the 2021 edition of the CQMS show held 10-11 September in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, McMenamin continued: “It was terrific to be back at a show, welcome customers to our stand and showcase the capability of our equipment and discuss our latest innovations. We were delighted by how well the M1700X was received and we look forward to building on the connections made at CQMS and discussing how our bespoke solutions can meet their specific needs.” Reykjavík, Iceland-headquartered concrete producer Steypustöðin – Námur has announced a significant new investment in

an upgrade to its CDE wet processing plant that will see it almost double its sand- and aggregate-processing capacity in Hólabrú, Hvalfjarðarsveit. An area noted for the quality of its natural materials, excavation has been undertaken at Hólabrú for several decades, supplying high-grade sand and aggregate products to meet the material needs for asphalting, road construction and civil engineering in the Icelandic capital. In 2009, it was estimated that up to 1,000,000m³ of material had been excavated and processed by Tak-Malbik and Vélaleiga Halldórs Sigurðssonar to support major public works and infrastructure projects, with up to a further 2,000,000m³ to be processed by the end of this decade. In 2018, Steypustöðin acquired two businesses, Alexander Ólafsson and Tak-Malbik, and with it, two state-of-the-art CDE wet processing solutions commissioned for the companies in October of that same year. They were integrated into Steypustöðin’s operations, reinforcing the company’s material-processing capabilities through the acquisition and integration of industry experts, heavy machinery and material-

The Terex Washing Systems’ team in front of the M1700X plant launched at the CQMS show in Ireland

www.AggBusiness.com

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

29


WASHING – PART 2

A side view of Terex Washing Systems’ new M1700X mobile washing screen

processing plants, including Tak-Malbik’s 80 tonnes per hour (tph) CDE sand and aggregate wash plant. These resources are supporting the continued development of Steypustöðin’s mines – Vatnskarðsnáman and Hólabrúarnáman – which remain vital suppliers of minerals for projects in the capital area, other local municipalities and Vegagerðin, Iceland’s road administration. Due to increasing demand for its product range, Steypustöðin is now investing in an upgrade to its CDE plant that will increase the processing capacity from 80tph to 150tph. Hörður Pétursson, chief operating officer at Steypustöðin – Námur, says despite 18-hour production shifts demand continues to outstrip supply. “Our site operates from 7am to 11pm six days per week, but in spite of a busy production schedule we‘re still experiencing demand greater than that which we can supply, impacting our ability to build up reserves. The existing CDE plant coupled with our experience of working with its expert team has underscored much of the success of this site to date. For this reason, we were keen to work with the team again to devise a solution that would help us to increase our production volumes.” Allan Esmann, CDE’s business development manager for Denmark, Iceland and Greenland, says identifying the bottleneck limiting the plant capacity was key.

“When it was first installed, the jet pump was capable of conveying sufficient sand and gravel relative to the demand at the time and it was a solution that satisfied the material needs of both the customer and the market. However, with increasing demand for premium construction materials its limited capacity is impacting Steypustöðin’s ability to meet the call of the construction industry or build up its own material reserves.” The original configuration of the plant split 0-8mm materials into two fractions – 0-4mm and 4-8mm – on the bottom deck of the M2500, a fully integrated modular washing plant that combines feeding, screening, sand washing and stockpiling into one compact and mobile chassis. The jet pump, utilised for the 4-8mm fraction, was identified as the bottleneck, limiting the feed material throughput, Esmann explains. “We proposed an upgrade that will see the removal of the jet pump which is to

be replaced by a new traditional pump. In addition, the full bottom deck will be utilised for one fraction (0-8mm) which will be pumped to a new, separate dewatering screen. “Here, the 4-8mm fraction will be dewatered, screened off, and stockpiled via a new conveyor system, while the 0-4mm underflow of the screen will be pumped back into the original configuration where it will be dewatered and minus 63 micron material removed through a new, higher capacity cyclone.” When commissioned, the upgrade will almost double sand and gravel production for Steypustöðin, whose product range includes five outputs: +22mm oversize, 8-22mm, 4-8mm, 0-4mm and 0-8mm. Esmann says the project is a demonstration of CDE’s customer-for-life approach. “Our durable technologies are backed up by leading aftersales support, delivered by the CDE CustomCare team. We operate a customer-for-life model that sees us continue to work closely with customers once a plant has been commissioned, ensuring maximum uptime and throughput to meet our performance guarantees. We have developed an excellent working relationship with the team at Steypustöðin and we’re pleased our

Steypustöðin – Námur’s upgraded CDE plant will increase the company’s processing capacity from 80tph to 150tph

30

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


! W E

N

m1700x

SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN SCREEN BOX TECHNOLOGY

NEW

Integrated High Fluidisation Wash Box

INCREASED Standard Features

FOCUSED Wet Processing Efficiency

For more information contact us today: E. tws.sales@terex.com

WASHING AS IT SHOULD BE

www.terex.com/washing


WASHING – PART 2

technology continues to support one of the leading producers of concrete in Reykjavík.” Commenting on the durability of CDE wet processing solutions, he adds: “CDE technology is robust and adaptable, meaning that we were able to devise a solution that will completely transform the operation and output of Steypustöðin’s plant while retaining its core infrastructure and original configuration.” Pétursson commends the drive and determination displayed by the CDE team in engineering a solution to increase Steypustöðin’s production in line with soaring demand. “We’re hugely impressed by the flexibility of the CDE plant and the ability of its expert team to integrate these new components into the operation. Rather than a full plant overhaul, these relatively low-cost upgrades, when commissioned, will have a transformational impact on our production and accelerate return on investment.” With a long history of designing, manufacturing and installing modular washing equipment, McLanahan’s line of UltraWASH modular wash plants is said by the American company to be its latest solution for customers needing a configurable line, backed by decades of service and support. Engineered to include all McLanahan equipment that helps producers meet their process requirements, McLanahan modular wash plants provide the reliability, simplicity and efficiency that producers need from their wash plant. All equipment that is part of the UltraWASH plants, including the vibratory screen, hydrocyclones, dewatering screen, and sump and pump, is based on McLanahan’s well-known, field-proven designs. UltraWASH plants provide a quick, easy-to-install processing system. These modular wash systems are said to be ideal for producers facing criteria such as planning permits, multiple locations, short-term deployment, and/or an unknown/variable feed stock (e.g. construction and demolition (C&D) waste-streams applications) that make implementing a customised, fixed processing solution difficult. Currently available in nine sizes and configurations, the UltraWASH can produce up to three aggregate products and up to two sand products. There is a single-process water-feed point, as well as a single effluent discharge point. McLanahan currently offers several

McLanahan’s UltraWASH solutions can produce up to three aggregate and two sand products

additional configurations and add-ons to the UltraWASH, including: • Single or dual sand product • Feed preparation (log washer, blade mill, coarse material screw) • Attritioning module for specialty sand production • Organics removal module • Water treatment with the EcoCYCLE thickener • EcoPRESS filter press for complete wastewater treatment With the greater separation efficiency of hydrocyclones/separators, the UltraSAND is proven to provide a higher product yield compared to stand-alone processing equipment. Producers can achieve a much lower moisture content from the dewatering screen, depending on the characteristics of the sand. Capable of removing water soluble materials from the toughest of clays, McLanahan UltraSCRUB modular plants provide a flexible washing option for aggregate feeds. Arriving on-site in containerized modules, producers will benefit from the shorter lead times, quick set-up and ease of transport offered by the UltraSCRUB. UltraFINES modular fines recovery plants are a combination of a sump, pump, hydrocyclones and a dewatering screen in a module that is specifically designed to recover fines from a wash plant effluent

stream. The recovered material is conveyable and stackable, and is suitable for multiple industries, including sand, iron ore, coal recovery, ash, industrial sands, frac sand and more. UltraFINES modular plants recover fines to produce a standalone product and reduce the amount of solids reporting to the settling pond or downstream equipment. The UltraDRY modular dewatering screen has a quick set-up that can be easily added onto any new or exisiting equipment. The slow travel speeds of material through the dewatering screen allow for longer sand retention, which generates better drying time for a consistently dry product. McLanahan’s dewatering screens use the highest G-force on the market, which enables them to handle the largest loads. An optional pump add-on can provide ideal water placement for a cleaner product, while limiting water usage. EcoPRESS filter presses provide the ability to optimize tailings management with the recovery of clean, reusable water. The EcoPRESS can address many typical issues associated with fines processing, including full slurry ponds/tailings dams, high material-handling-equipment repair costs, limited expansion capabilities, environmental permit restrictions, high waste-material handling costs and limited water availability. EcoCYCLE thickeners provide a compact and modular solution for water recycling and sludge handling. EcoCYCLE plants come complete with motor, pump, floc dosing station, control panel and control cabin. A variety of modular plant solutions can be used to meet production requirements, resulting in a reduction in site work, cost and time in production. These systems are also likely to be stocked by local dealers to get you into quick production. AB

McLanahan’s UltraWASH modular wash plants offer proven reliability, simplicity and efficiency

32

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


ENGINES – PART 2

Simple but advanced off-road power A state-of-the-art engine is helping to improve aggregates production at a Swedish quarry, while big off-road engine manufacturers have launched new product lines and spoken of imminent emissionscompliant certification in key regional markets for proven units. Meanwhile, investments are also being made in hydrogen power and clean-engine technology. Liam McLoughlin reports

A

Volvo Penta engine has been helping to improve aggregates production at a quarry operated by Swedish-based ABBEMA. ABBEMA was founded 20 years ago by owner and managing director Benth Winqvist as a hobby project, and today provides construction and crushing services in southern Sweden. In total, the company has 25 machines, including eight stone crushers. The company wants to be at the forefront as a service provider so it needs to stay up to date with the most innovative machines like the Metso LT 330D with a Volvo Penta D16 engine – which is currently in operation at a quarry in Mjölby, Sweden. The LT 330D is a secondary crusher combined with a three-deck screener that stands behind the primary crusher. It makes the primary crushed material finer and can make three different fractions of material at the same time. Winqvist says the LT 330D is “the biggest machine you can have without having to dismantle to transport to a new site. The machine is mobile, it moves around in Southern Sweden – 400-500 km.” It produces aggregates for road building and concrete and has been in operation for two years. The crusher is larger than others in ABBEMA’s fleet and Winqvist says it was required to increase the operation capacity in response to high demand. The Volvo Penta engine helps the crusher achieve crushed material outputs of 220 tons crushed an hour at grade 0-16 (small), and 350 tons crushed an hour at grade 0-90 (large). Setting out the benefits he has observed from using the D16 engine, Winqvist says:

www.AggBusiness.com

“Very reliable and except for the service it’s just running. As the quarry environment that this machine is operating in is very harsh and dusty, we have decided to stick to a 500-hour service interval time rather than the 1,000 hours – we believe it is better to err on the side of caution.” He adds that scheduled services make everyone feel secure and that ABBEMA has had no unscheduled downtime in the two years it has been running the crusher. “Since this is our first Volvo Penta engine, we had to establish contact with a new dealer network,” Winqvist says. “As it’s a mobile operation we are dependent on dealers situated at different locations which can be a challenge. Thanks to clear dialogue and good cooperation everything is running smoothly.” Fredrik Larsson, global OEMs’ key account manager at Volvo Penta, says his company strives to continuously improve and have a service network of suitable density. “We work proactively with our OEMs to establish good relationships between their dealers and our dealers before the machines are put into operation,” adds Larsson. “Personal relationships are key here. In this case, our dealer in Sweden is working closely with Metso to deliver the best customer satisfaction possible.” Winqvist says ABBEMA plans to purchase more Metso machines fitted with Volvo Penta engines in the future. ABBEMA’s strategy is to run its machines

Cummins says its B6.7 Performance Series will be certified to meet Indian Bharat Stage IV & V and China Stage IV emission regulations for around four years and then replace them with the latest technology. Its machines experience high levels of wear and tear in the quarry and construction environments, so repowering is often not a viable option for their business. Cummins has announced that its Performance Series engines will be certified to meet Indian Bharat Stage IV and V, as well as China Stage IV emission regulations for the off-highway market. Whilst these products already meet EU Stage V and EPA Tier 4 Final levels, the US-headquartered manufacturer says this development offers excellent flexibility for its customers around the world. In April 2021, the Bharat Stage IV emissions regulation came into force in India for wheeled machinery, with Stage V planned for the end of 2024. Emissions rules for tracked construction equipment are expected © AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

33


ENGINES – PART 2 ABBEMA owner and MD Benth Winqvist (second left) and his team with the quarry company’s Volvo Penta D26-powered Metso LT 330D crusher

in 2022. The Cummins B6.7 Performance Series engine’s Bharat Stage IV and V certification is now complete, with the L9 and X15 engines due to follow later in 2021. China Stage IV emissions regulations come into effect at the end of December 2022. Certification of Cummins Performance Series engines F3.8, B6.7, L9, and X15 will be completed during 2022 in advance of the regulated date. Cummins says that customers that have their own manufacturing capability in India and China will be able to use locally designed and produced engines. OEMs will be able to reduce manufacturing complexity

Deutz has partnered with fuel cell stack company Blue World Technologies to expand its activities in climate-neutral drive systems

34

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

and engineering costs by having common machine designs, regardless of their destination, taking advantage of the key Performance Series benefits. Cummins adds that Performance Series equipment benefits from the use of the integrated Cummins Single Module aftertreatment system. The system comes with combustion and air-handling technology that supports engines to meet, and exceed, Stage V ultra-low emissions levels, without the need for cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The single module combines a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a diesel particulate filter (DPF), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) urea-dosing technology in one unit, offering OEMs a simpler installation to minimise costs. Having no EGR means that the Performance Series engines are low-weight, simple designs,

allowing for easier installation into equipment. Cooling requirements are also lower, further reducing installed costs and occupied space within machinery. Cummins says that running costs are reduced and extended downtime is avoided across its Performance series, as the range offers significantly improved fuel efficiency, extended service intervals and simpler servicing requirements. Stop-start capabilities can also now be integrated to further reduce fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and overall maintenance costs, helping to reduce on-site exhaust emissions and noise. Performance Series products can be specifically tailored by Cummins’ engineers mechanically and electronically to each machine type, making equipment installations as bespoke as possible. The manufacturer says this powertrain integration capability delivers the best all-round performance and running costs to match any required operating cycle. German engine maker Deutz has agreed to enter into a strategic alliance with Blue World Technologies. Blue World, based in Aalborg, Denmark, develops, manufactures, and sells fuel cell stacks, reformers and systems. The collaboration is centred around an exclusive agreement for the distribution and service of stationary fuel cell gensets and will see Deutz take a 10% stake in Blue World after the due diligence process is finalised. This is expected for Q4 2021. Blue World employs methanol as an energy source, from which it first generates hydrogen and then, in a second step, generates electrical energy in the fuel cell.

www.AggBusiness.com


ENGINES – PART 2

KOHLER UNVEILS KSD SERIES ENGINES Choosing the right engine for any equipment – from generator sets (gensets) to specialised machines – requires time and significant investment. With this in mind, off-road engine maker Kohler says its new KSD Series (Kohler Small Displacement) engine family is designed to be advanced but simple and suitable for a variety of applications. The KSD is a new base engine below 19kW that complies with all global emissions standards and fuels. Announced in November 2021, the new engine range is scheduled to go into production in October 2022. Kohler says KSD engines are ready-to-fit machines for excavators and loaders in construction, generators in the power sector, tractors in agriculture, and forklifts in logistics, as well as compressors, dumpers, mowers, and refrigeration. The new range currently comprises three engine models: KSD 1403NA (naturally aspirated), KSD 1403TC (turbocharged), and KSD 1403TCA (turbocharged with aftercooler). The Wisconsin, US-headquartered manufacturer says many others will come in the next few years. In terms of performance, the KSD series offers high low-end torque (95 Nm @ 1000 rpm); peak torque at low speed (120 Nm @ 1400 rpm), and peak power (18.4W @ 1800 rpm). Kohler says the “amazing” low-end torque values allow the operator to run their piece of equipment at lower rpm to save fuel.

Kohler’s new KSD engines are ready to fit machines for a variety of applications including excavators and loaders It adds that the wide variety of emission standards has introduced a new level of complexity to the engines business. “We have taken this complexity and transformed it into an opportunity,” the company states. “It happened with the KDI Series, and it’s happening with the product we are presenting today: a new engine below 19kW that complies with all global emissions standards and fuels. And multi-fuel

Blue World is already developing stationary fuel cell-powered gensets today. In the future, Deutz expects that the fuel cell technology shall be used for mobile applications in the off-highway segment, too. “By partnering with Blue World Technologies, Deutz is expanding its activities in the development of climateneutral drive systems,” says Dr. Frank Hiller, CEO of Deutz. The two companies are initially signing a distribution agreement that will allow Deutz to sell the Blue World stationary fuel cell genset exclusively. Hiller continued: “In the business with gensets, we see an exceptionally attractive market that we are looking to tap into together with Blue World. Genset users are now expecting zero-emission, climateneutral technology for their applications

www.AggBusiness.com

solutions will enrich the offering: diesel, gasoline and propane.” Kohler says that a truly global product must be conceived and designed with a global approach: suitable for all regions, compliant with all standards worldwide, and compatible with all kinds of machines. “Integrating an engine in any piece of equipment doesn’t mean just selecting and purchasing it,”

too. Fuel cells that run on ‘green’ methanol provide an ideal solution here. Deutz is thus making further headway with new technologies that will move it beyond the conventional engine to offer climate-neutral solutions even for the off-highway segment and stationary applications.” Deutz only very recently presented the TCG 7.8 H2 hydrogen engine, which the company is adding to its portfolio of low-emission and zero-emission drive systems. The engine meets the carbon criteria set by the EU for zero emissions. “We are very excited about this partnership with Deutz. It means we will be able to work with one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of engines on the joint development and distribution of our fuel cell technology. Deutz’s investment is

the company comments. “Our passionate global team offers support throughout the process, during and after the engine installation, wherever you are, whatever machine type you have.” In terms of simplicity, Kohler says KSD engines can be easily integrated with the more complex electronic systems of ever-evolving machines. It adds the engines are also versatile and can be integrated without modifying or redeveloping the machine. KSD engines also allow customised settings for any duty cycle and the ability to exchange data with few physical connections. The KSD engines have the ability to easily fit into existing machine platforms. They are electronically managed, while also being designed to be as simple to use as mechanical engines. The fuel system allows precise fuel metering and excellent load response, resulting in time saving and increased productivity. Kohler says the innovative technology brought on by the KSD series is its architecture which features a state-of-the-art indirect injection system but has the electronic management typical of direct injection engines. For servicing, the KSD engines allow for prognostic, diagnostic, geolocation, remote monitoring and “switchability” for generator set application. They offer a service interval of up to 500 hours, for both oil and fuel filters. The 2,000-hours of service interval of the Poly-V fan belt and no valve adjustment give KSD engines a 3-year warranty providing up to 6,000 hours of protection.

also giving us a boost ahead of our planned public listing. Our partnership with Deutz will be a major contribution towards meeting our mutual goals,” states Anders Korsgaard, co-founder and chief executive officer of Blue World Technologies. “Furthermore, we are happy to announce that Vaekstfonden, the Danish Growth Fund, also expects to take a significant stake in Blue World Technologies. We have a strong relationship with Vaekstfonden, and with these two strategic partners on board, we can speed up the process of building one of the largest fuel cell factories in Europe to meet customer demand.” Engine maker John Deere has made an equity investment in ClearFlame Engine Technologies, a new firm developing cleanengine technology. ClearFlame’s solution © AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

35


ENGINES – PART 2

allows low-carbon fuels such as ethanol to be integrated into compression ignition engines, offering a sustainable solution without compromising engine performance. The company explained that its investment is in line with its strategic vision to accelerate low- and zero-carbon powertrain technology. John Deere will also supply an engine to use in conceptual testing, which will help validate the technology currently under development by ClearFlame. “We made this investment to stay on the leading edge of developments in renewable fuel technology,” said Pierre Guyot, senior vice president, John Deere Power Systems. “ClearFlame’s compression ignition engine technology has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions while continuing to provide the performance and durability our customers expect from John Deere engines.” “ClearFlame’s mission is to decarbonise the hardest-to-electrify sectors in a rapid and cost-effective way. Expanding our solution from heavy-duty trucking to agriculture and other off-highway markets delivers on that promise, offering significant sustainability and economic benefits that won’t compromise engine performance,” said BJ Johnson, ClearFlame CEO and co-founder. “We look forward to working together with John Deere and supporting its commitment to reducing net CO2 emissions through

John Deere Power Systems is investing in ClearFlame to develop clean-fuel technologies providing renewable energy solutions.” Using ethanol in place of petroleum diesel fuel in diesel engines reduces carbon emissions and air-quality emissions. In addition, ethanol is widely available and can offer a high-efficiency, liquid alternative fuel option. The firm recognises the importance of renewable fuel options and is committed

to exploring new solutions. “Compression ignition engines have a long life ahead — in terms of both the current source of diesel and a wide variety of alternative fuel types,” said Guyot. “John Deere already offers biomassbased diesel compatibility on our engines. These investments are the right thing to do for environmental, economic and ruraldevelopment benefits.” AB

A LONG WAY

TOGETHER

No matter how challenging your needs, EARTHMAX SR 41 is your best ally when it comes to operations that require extraordinary traction. Thanks to its All Steel radial structure and the special block pattern, EARTHMAX SR 41 provides excellent resistance against punctures and an extended service life. In addition to long working hours without downtime, the tyre ensures extraordinary comfort. EARTHMAX SR 41 is BKT’s response to withstand the toughest operating conditions in haulage, loading and dozing applications.

For info: europe@bkt-tires.com

36

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


PORTABLE POWER – PART 2

Becoming a leader in sustainability Trey Ragsdale, vice president marketing in Atlas Copco Power Technique’s Power and Flow division, discusses the benefits of thinking green when it comes to choosing portable power solutions for aggregates industry use

The ZBC 250 is a new model in Atlas Copco’s ZenergiZe lithium-ion energy storage system range

S

ustainability continues to be a hot topic in the aggregates industry as it accounts for approximately 11% of the world’s total CO2 emissions. The benefits of moving towards greener technologies are clear regarding the environment, but, crucially, leveraging them can also bring significant business advantages to the operators. Here, we look at how renewable energy and the latest technologies can help constructors introduce a greater level of sustainability and optimise operation in the process. Green operation has traditionally not been the main objective for constructors. Cost control and efficiency have, for a good reason, been guiding project planning and execution. However, growing awareness of the effects of global warming has put the aggregates sector as well as other machineheavy industries under the spotlight, leading to the introduction of tighter regulations, such as Stage V. Undoubtedly, the pressure to reduce emissions is high. Yet, at the same time, the need to improve operational efficiency is higher than ever. Fortunately, these two goals can go hand in hand. Many technologies that are already available target sustainability while delivering better efficiency and contributing to a lower total

www.AggBusiness.com

cost of ownership (TCO) than traditional alternatives. Let’s look at power generation – an area primarily dominated by diesel generators. Here, the recent developments in highdensity lithium-ion battery energy storage solutions provide operators a simple way of addressing sustainability by complementing the generator’s power with energy stored from renewable sources. Energy storage systems can facilitate smart load management, making generators more efficient, flexible, and quiet to operate. The technology helps operators address many of the challenges of remote sites where grid power is unavailable and city-centre locations where emissions (CO2, NOx, and noise) limitations are imposed. Energy storage systems are also key to reducing the size of the generator required. Some common equipment, such as cranes, rely on a significant power surge to get started yet consume little power for the rest of the shift, leading operators to choose an oversized generator to provide those few seconds of peak power. With li-ion battery energy storage systems, the batteries are used to meet the peak power requirement. When power requirements are lower, the generator will power the load during the rest

of the time. By utilising a hybrid solution, constructors can provide the required power but reduce the negative aspects of using an unnecessarily large generator, including excess emissions, black smoke, and noise. Atlas Copco’s energy storage systems are a concrete example of the benefits combining these two technologies can deliver. It means that a generator which is 40% smaller can be used, minimising emissions. With a hybrid solution, operators can improve sustainability, cut costs and the battery system can also help extend the lifespan of the generator while optimising its performance. Furthermore, during its lifecycle, a ZBP unit only emits 50% of the emissions of a standard standalone generator, saving approximately 100 tons of CO2 – the equivalent of planting 450 trees (assuming a tree life of 30 years). When used in island mode, CO2 savings can reach up to 100% if the unit is powered by renewable energy sources. Moreover, the Atlas Copco’s energy storage systems are also lighter and more compact than traditional alternatives, yet able to provide over 12 hours of power with a single charge. Another area where the introduction of complementary technologies can help reap great rewards, both in terms of increasing © AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

37


PORTABLE POWER – PART 2

sustainability as well as reducing noise and the cost of operation, is light towers. They are an essential part of equipment for the aggregates industry, but most of the models in the market rely on diesel engine power, especially in remote locations. However, this does not need to be the case: electriconly models that use grid power, as well as li-ion battery-powered LED options, are offering the same performance as their diesel counterparts with the added benefits of reduced CO2 emissions, lower refuelling cost, and quiet operation. The latest HiLight S2+ solar light tower from Atlas Copco, for example, helps users cut CO2 emissions by up to six tonnes compared to traditional technologies. The renewable energy generated by its extensible solar panels enables autonomous operation during times when the yield is greater than the energy demand. However, during darker months or times of high-energy demand, the tower can be charged with any external power source such as energy storage systems. If this power is coming from renewable sources, the light towers offer a 100% green solution. The battery-powered LED Atlas Copco HiLight Z3+ light tower delivers run times of up to 32 hours without noise during operation. Its charging time, directly from auxiliary, grid, portable generator, or energy storage systems, is just six hours for the standard Z3+ unit. The HiLight Z3+ also offers a yearly reduction of one tonne of CO2 emissions and diesel savings of more than 1,000 litres (CO2 emissions per litre of diesel burned = 2.6kg). Another light tower that can help users cut CO2 emissions in very tough environments, such as quarries, is the HiLight E3+ electric light tower. This plug-andplay light tower’s environmental resilience extends application opportunities, improves reliability, reduces total cost of ownership,

and preserves resale values. Equally, though, it offers superior performance during operation. With no mechanical parts to maintain and no liquids or emissions, the HiLight E3+ light tower is environmentally friendly and virtually maintenance-free. Pumps are another piece of equipment found on most aggregates sites that can deliver significant savings, both in terms of CO2 emissions and TCO. Some environmentally conscious operators are already taking advantage of the latest technologies to reduce the operational impact of the machines. Some manufacturers have introduced new and complementary technologies to make the use of pumps more efficient. Atlas Copco, for example, has made the Wear Deflector an integral part of the design of its WEDA D70 range of electric submersible dewatering pumps. The unique hydraulic design reduces the size of the pump by up to 40% while contributing to a high level of pump efficacy and long life, even in challenging operating conditions, resulting in a low TCO. Digital technologies, such as Atlas Copco’s FleetLink, can help further improve monitoring and assist operators in working more efficiently. FleetLink enables remote monitoring of pump performance and condition, providing the operational insight needed to optimise pump usage and maintenance. Tools like this can help keep equipment in optimal condition and

eliminate any excess emissions resulting from potential malfunction while ensuring a continuous, cost-effective operation. This telematics system is included in Atlas Copco’s PAS HardHat Stage V dewatering pumps, empowering operators to reduce emissions because they are certified to work with HVO, the newest generation of biodiesel oil, to reduce the carbon footprint of the product itself. As these examples demonstrate, introducing low-emission technologies to the aggregates industry can be simple, and also work towards zero-emissions operations. Reducing CO2 emissions is good for the planet as well as the brand image and customer relationships. By demonstrating awareness of the environmental impact of aggregates and, more importantly, the willingness to address it, forward-thinking operators can shape the industry towards a more sustainable future. This change can also bring significant benefits to the business: renewable energy sources deliver low-cost or even free energy, while more energy-efficient machines tend to consume less power, be easier to move around, and emit less smoke and noise. When the rewards of choosing greener technologies include improved operation, lower TCO, and a healthier workplace, introducing a greater level of sustainability to the aggregates industry should be on the agenda for every business. AB

Atlas Copco’s latest HiLight S2+ solar light tower helps users cut CO2 emissions by up to six tonnes compared to traditional technologies

“Reducing CO2 emissions is good for the planet as well as the brand image and customer relationships”

38

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


Green Power On Demand Our Energy Storage Systems target sustainability while increasing operational efficiency. They can deliver reliable energy with zero emissions and zero noise in island mode, or save up to 80% in CO2 emissions when combined with a small generator. atlascopco.com/zenergize


PORTABLE POWER – PART 2

The new four-model range of small portable compressors from Doosan Portable Power features free air deliveries from 2.5 to 5m³/min

All good things come in threes Doosan Portable Power has launched a new portable compressor range for the European market, and a new generator range and lighting tower for Middle East and Africa customers. The new products are suited to a wide range of industries, including quarrying. Guy Woodford reports

D

oosan Portable Power’s new range of small portable compressors features four new models with free air deliveries from 2.5 to 5m³/min and designed with a focus on simplicity, durability, reliability and transportability. As the company states, about 70% of the EU portable compressor market is represented by machines between 2 and 5m³/min. The main European markets are the UK, GAS (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), France and Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg), which together represent more than 70% of the industry covering many sectors including rental, construction, quarrying, utilities, demolition, and general industry. Doosan Portable Power (Doosan PP) has very strong sales in this region and is one of the top three players in the market. In the new small compressors, the first number in the model’s name indicates the pressure in bar, the second number represents nominal air flow in cubic metres per minute, while the number 5 at the end indicates a Stage V-compliant engine. There are three models operating at 7 bar nominal pressure - the new Stage V Yanmar-powered 7/25, 7/45 and 7/55 with outputs of 2.5, 4 and 5m³/min, respectively. The small compressor range is completed by the new 14/35 higher pressure model providing 3m³/ min of compressed air at 13.8 bar. Jan Moravec, general manager Doosan PP EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), said: “The design complexity required for the implementation of the latest Stage V engines led us to completely rethink the design of the small compressor range, while maintaining the well accepted, superior durability of

40

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS November/December 2021

our products, improving the serviceability and fulfilling all possible transportability requirements, at the same time as expanding our focus on environmentally friendlier solutions.” Speaking about the motivation for the launch of Doosan PP’s new range of small generator models for the Middle East and Africa, Moravec said: “The MEA market for generators in the range 10-75 kVA totals about 80000 units with 45000 in the Middle East and 35000 in Africa. Doosan Portable Power has significantly grown sales in the region since 2017 and in 2021 the business is now able to provide a full range including rental specification products, which cover the majority of the market’s needs.” As a result, DPP’s four new small generators – the G20, G30, G40 and G60 – are all available as both stationary (XW) and

BELOW: Doosan Portable Power’s G20RW generator

rental (RW) configurations. The G20XW/ RW, G30XW/RW, G40XW/RW and G60XW/ RW provide prime power outputs of 18/19, 30/29, 41/43 and 58/59 kVA, respectively, and all are available in a dual 50/60 Hz configuration. Most of the changes in the new small generators, which can, for example, be used to power large crushing plant, have happened under the bonnet. All the new models have been upgraded with proven Yanmar engines which have been used on several other products from Doosan Portable Power for years. This improves uptime with a low requirement of repair. A wide variety of common parts among the product line also helps with parts availability. Doosan PP has also reduced noise levels by 2 to 6 dBA compared to the previous models. The new generators are also very efficient, reducing fuel consumption by between 7 and 20%, when compared to the previous models or machines from other suppliers on the market. Designed for reliability and durability, Doosan PP’s new LVL 50Hz portable light tower - also available as a 60Hz model – for the Middle East and Africa is said to be ideal for the rental market. It can also be used to enhance quarry site security and in other quarry-based work. The LVL light tower has a compact footprint for increased job site mobility and cost-effective transport. The new LVL light tower has a power train based around the Yanmar L48N5 Tier 2 diesel engine. Thanks to a high output alternator, the LVL provides light and power with classleading run-time. The fuel tank capacity allows an extended runtime for the four LED lights of 220 hours (200 hours for the 60Hz version). AB

www.AggBusiness.com


SUPPLIER INFINITE COMPLETE TURNKEY PLANT QUICK INSTALLATION MODUL AR SYSTEM ALL FIELDS

THE INDUSTRIAL EXCELLENCE IN ITALIAN MACHINERY, BY NATURE

M O C . S E I 8365 DUSTR

N I C E T A M CT@ CONTA

85 (+39) 05 .COM S E I R T S NDU MATECI


AMMANN ARX 4-2 LIGHT TANDEM ROLLERS

OBSTRUCTIONS? NO PROBLEM Ammann ARX Light Tandem Rollers excel in the open, where covering ground quickly is the goal. But other jobsites call for a compactor that can work tight against obstructions, such as curbs, without losing productivity. Ammann ARX series of light tandem rollers deliver in both worlds. They feature industry-leading compaction output to quickly reach targets when working in open spaces. When obstructions are a factor, the rollers can quickly switch from in-line to offset compaction, providing operators with improved vision and precision.

OTHER KEY FEATURES • Electronic drive lever for smooth starts and stops, especially important on asphalt jobs

• Spacious operator platform with sliding seat

• Optional ACEforce, the Intelligent Compaction tool for optimal efficiency

• Perfect all-around machine visibility and LED lights for safety on the jobsite

• Simple and reliable dashboard with intuitive machine control

Looking for even more productivity? When the workday is done, maintenance points can be easily accessed from the ground to ensure quick completion of service work.

For additional product information and services please visit: www.ammann.com MMP-2486-03-EN | © Ammann Group


ETIHAD RAIL

Building a railway legacy for the Emirates The huge Etihad Rail project is under construction in the high-rise sand dunes and mountains of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). V. L. Srinivasan reports on the latest progress of what is considered a “marvel of engineering”, and which will now be utilising recycled aggregates

T

he US$11bn Etihad Rail project taking place in the United Arab Emirates will link all seven of the Gulf state’s Emirates. It includes laying railway line for 1200km, thousands of cubic metres of earthworks, laying more than a million tonnes of ballast and almost an equal number of cement sleepers, digging 15 tunnels through the Hajar mountainous regions, and constructing 35 bridges designed for heavy cargo loads. Executing such an undertaking amid challenges including a harsh environment, tight schedule, and extensive dealings with more than 40 stakeholders into a Design & Build FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers) silver book contract is really astounding. The project was divided into three stages with the first one completed in 2016. The execution of second-phase works started in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and the project was slowed down.

A portion of the railway track laid as part of Package 2A

www.AggBusiness.com

With the UAE committing to achieve zero emissions by 2050, a single train journey removes approximately 300 trucks from the road, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 70%-80% compared to the amount emitted by trucks transporting the same tonnage. Etihad Rail chairman Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – who inaugurated track-laying at the railhead in Saih Shuaib, towards Abu Dhabi and Dubai on 29 June 2021 – stressed the importance of the strategic project, which is capable of revolutionising the UAE’s transport sector. “Etihad Rail will sustain the growth of our transport industry and freight carriage sector throughout the UAE, as railway systems are one of the most important means of transport on which countries depend to achieve their economic and social objectives,” he said. The network forms a key part of the UAE’s world-class integrated transport ecosystem, strengthening the nation’s global leading position in provision of quality transport infrastructure, he added.

“Etihad Rail will sustain the growth of our transport industry and freight carriage sector throughout the UAE, as railway systems are one of the most important means of transport on which countries depend to achieve their economic and social objectives.” Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman, Etihad Rail

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

43


ETIHAD RAIL

He also highlighted the project’s role in supporting the UAE’s economic growth, connecting key ports with production and manufacturing points and population, which will positively affect the lives of citizens and residents in the country.

A daunting task Italy-based multinational Saipem was responsible for laying the 264km railway connecting the Shah-Habshan-Ruwais regions as part of Stage 1 of the project, including a huge rail depot. Saipem faced many challenges such as the environment, the tight schedule and multiple interactions. A consortium of companies led by Saipem, Maire Technimont and Dodsal Engineering and Construction was awarded a US$900m contract for the construction of civil infrastructure and tracks for this phase of the project. The works were completed by end of 2015 and became operational in January 2016. The railway has been designed to pass through the desert of Abu Dhabi which has dunes up to 300m high, leading to huge earthworks of around 93 million m3, to be constructed in a very hot and humid environment in 34 months. In all, 235,000m3 of concrete was poured in the first stage of the project. The scheme has a large number of existing crossings which had to be resolved before track-laying activity started. These included two railway bridges crossing highways in the UAE, 16 overbridges related to roads overcrossing the railway, and 231 underpasses and minor structures related to roads and minor utilities. The challenges mainly concerned operating in a desert environment, overcoming topographic and adverse climate conditions, and dealing with around 40 stakeholders impacted by the first railway in the UAE. The railway passed through more than 50km of sensitive desert areas characterised by dunes reaching 150m, with 93 million m3 of earthworks moved in two years.

Earthworks being done as part of Package 2A

Stage 2 As part of Stage 2 of the project, works have been divided into four packages: A, B, C and D. They include civil and track works besides packages for the rolling stock, freight and operation, and maintenance facilities. Of all the packages in Stage 2, D has been the most challenging as it passes through the Hajar Mountains – the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian Peninsula – calling for the excavation of tunnels and construction of structures such as rail underpasses, underbridges, viaducts and overbridges. Stage 2 works are massive and the first three packages alone involved 89 million

tonnes of earthworks and excavation, in addition to requiring 2.25 million m3 of ballast and 1.34 million concrete sleepers.

Package 2A The US$408m Package 2A is one of the four major packages of the Etihad Rail programme and involves a joint consortium between the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and South Korea’s SK Engineering and Construction. The scope of work covers the design and construction of rail infrastructure including earthworks, bridges, tunnels, animal crossings, track-laying, and linking with Stage 1 of the network at Ruwais.

Inauguration of track-laying works of Package 2A

44

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


ETIHAD RAIL

“We have continuously monitored risk, we had to be ready to put mitigation in place. Also, scheduling changes, new requirements of stakeholders, and any small issue had the possibility to derail the project. Therefore, it’s important to have contingency plans,” the spokesperson said. During the peak of COVID-19, when most parts of the UAE remained under lockdown, the CSCEC spokesperson said that the project still progressed according to plan.

Dynamic compaction machine at the work site The work began in February 2020 and by the start of 2021 it was estimated that more than 60% has been completed including around half of all soil preparation works, and 79% of sand removal and rock clearance. “Package 2A is strategically very important because of its location and will connect the UAE rail network to Saudi Arabia. It is for this reason that this package is being closely monitored at the highest echelons of Government,” a spokesperson at CSCEC said. The Etihad Rail Network is a “Design & Build” programme which ensures the latest railway technology in construction is used according to the updated specification. “To be successful under so many constraints, along with a client who is meticulous in its methods, it is not everyone’s cup of tea to undertake such demanding projects,” said the CSCEC spokesperson. “CSCEC has proved time and again that it has the expertise, the technology, resources and leadership to take up such important projects in the competitive and challenging world of today.” As part of Package 2A, the company has to carry out approximately 8 million m3 of earthworks and 12 million m3 of filling, while the concrete work was around 10,000 m3. Package 2A runs for 139km, connecting Ruwais with Ghuweifat on the UAE-Saudi Arabia border, and includes a tie-in with the existing Stage 1 line.

Immense challenges The CSCEC spokesperson added that the scale and magnitude of this project will always have “immense challenges” as it not only involves construction but also running such a project every day. They said that risk management is at the heart of any project, with safeguards always being put in place for long-term and shortterm risks. At times, however, the nature of the project and the ever-changing conditions can quickly start to have a real impact on its progress.

www.AggBusiness.com

Package 2B Package 2B stretches 216km connecting Tarif to Saih Shuaib, and includes trackwork to support works at the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). Package C will run for 94km connecting Jebel Ali to Sharjah, and will include trackwork within the Jebel Ali Freight Terminal. The total value of the contracts for Packages 2B and 2C is put at around US$1.12bn and these were awarded to the China Railway Construction Corporation and Dubai-based Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting. The scope of work for these packages comprises civil and track works, design and construction of rail infrastructure, including earthworks, bridges, tunnels, animalcrossings and track-laying. Package 2D extends 148km from Sharjah to Fujairah and will provide connectivity to the Port of Fujairah, costing US$1.25bn in civil works and other construction. The contract was awarded to a joint venture (JV) between the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and National Projects and Construction (NPC). It will pass through the Emirates of Sharjah, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. The JV will be responsible for building 15 tunnels through the Hajar Mountains, covering a length of 16km. It will also construct 35 bridges and 32 underpasses as part of the works. Recycled aggregates The Centre for Waste Management in Abu Dhabi said that recycled aggregates from construction and demolition wastes will, perhaps for the first time, be used for the Etihad Rail project. Thiess Services Middle East (TSME) will supply at least 750,000 tonnes of recycled aggregates to Al Jaber Group for the completion of Stage 1 of the railway project. The contract will save five million kilometres in the transportation of construction materials by truck, reducing the project’s financial and environmental costs. Production of recycled aggregates at the Al Dhafra facility, the first of its kind in the Middle East, was closed prior to the completion of Stage 1 of the project due to insufficient orders. The facility processes inflowing raw construction and demolition waste into high-quality recycled aggregates, at a rate of up to 600 tonnes per hour. Stage 3 of the project is the extension to

link the northern Emirates. The second and third phases are expected to be completed by 2024.

Major milestone achieved In a latest development, Etihad Rail announced on 29 July 2021 that it has completed the digging works for the longest tunnel in the Arabian Gulf region, with a length of 1.8km, as part of the works of Package D of the second phase, which is making its way through the Hajar mountains. Work on the tunnel took up to 300,000 hours while more than 500,000 stones were removed during the excavation works. It is one of the nine tunnels in Package D with a total length of 6.9km, Etihad Rail said. This announcement represents an important achievement in the project’s progress, considering that it is one of the most difficult geographical areas within the construction work, and it contributes to enhancing the progress of work within the approved schedule. Concrete girders For concrete girders – vital for anchoring rails on the network – Etihad Rail has built two manufacturing facilities for large-scale production in the UAE itself instead of importing them. These concrete beams are manufactured using locally available highquality raw materials, and this also generates thousands of jobs nationwide as part of the “Make in the UAE” policy. The first facility is located at Al Mirfa in the port city in the Al Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is spread over an area of 13,000m2 and produces 45,000 girders per month, with even the beams required for the Stage 1 of the project being manufactured in this factory. The second unit is located in the Saih Shuaib area on the borders between the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and spread over an area of 9,000m2 with an annual production of 1.1 million girders. Concrete girder production at the factories follows the longitudinal production line system, and contains eight lines with each line producing 400 concrete girders per day for a total daily production of 3,200 concrete girders in each casting process. AB

A profile picture from Etihad Rail website

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

45


WCA CONFERENCE

Cementing the path to net zero The global cement sector has reduced C02 emissions by a quarter since 1990, but existing measures are no longer enough and producers must now employ new levers to achieve industry decarbonisation targets. Liam McLoughlin reports

The cement sector faces increasing pressure from regulators and investors on the climate-change issue

46

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

conference in Glasgow, where he outlined key actions governments around the world can immediately take to cut global CO2 emissions from the cement and concrete sector. For an industry that contributes around 7% to global carbon emissions, Riley says the need to decarbonise quickly is critical if worldwide efforts to reduce and reverse global heating are to succeed. Riley told delegates at COP26 that not only is a net-zero cement industry achievable, new technologies for carbon-negative concrete are emerging that can remove CO2 that is already in the atmosphere. But for this to happen, he said governments around the world need to take action in three key areas to encourage faster adoption of low-carbon technologies: • Promote a market for low-carbon concrete by encouraging its use in publicly-funded building projects • Review and update product standards to allow low-carbon concrete to be used in a wider range of applications • Create the right market incentives for developing and using low-carbon cement and concrete technologies, via carbon pricing, subsidies or other economic mechanisms If governments around the world respond to the WCA’s call and take action now, Riley claims that annual emissions of CO2 from cement and concrete could be reduced by 30%, or 900 million tons per year by 2030. “The pathways to net zero will be different for every cement plant. However, there are

a few key measures which governments can adopt that will have a rapid and lasting impact on the pace of global uptake of all these measures,” Riley said. “These measures can be implemented at low cost and will stimulate innovation and rapid scaling of new technologies. For governments looking for effective measures they can take today that will help deliver major and lasting emissions reductions in the next decade, the cement and concrete industry is a great place to start.” Lord Adair Turner, chair of the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), said at the WCA conference that the world is moving in the right direction on emissions reduction but nowhere near fast enough and that there is at least another 30% that has got to be done. The ETC is a global coalition of major power and industrial companies, investors, environmental NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and experts working out achievable pathways to limit global warming to well below 2˚C by 2040 while stimulating economic development and social progress. Turner added: “Even on what have been called the ‘hard to abate’ sectors – steel, cement, chemicals, longdistance aviation and shipping – we now have clear visions of how to get to net zero by 2050.” Turner admitted that there may be a net cost to decarbonise for such hard-to-abate sectors, unlike in road transport where in ten years people

© Nupino / Dreamstime.com

T

he cement industry is among the most difficult, if not the most difficult, to abate in terms of achieving decarbonisation. Twenty years ago, the cement sector recognised the need to go beyond legal requirements to reduce emissions, and ten of the largest international cement suppliers made commitments to do so. Since then, the three key levers that have been pulled to achieve industry decarbonisation have been energy efficiency, fuel switching and reducing the clinker factor. These have led to reductions of about 25% in carbon emissions since 1990. WCA chief executive Ian Riley says these levers have the potential for about another 25% reduction. “But beyond that we must find new ways to reduce CO2 emissions including CCUS [carbon capture utilisation and storage] and zero-carbon fuels such as hydrogen,” added Riley, who was speaking at the WCA’s Annual Conference 2021 held virtually on October 20-21. Riley says that one thing that’s becoming very clear is the potential for crossindustry collaboration towards achieving decarbonisation in areas such as learning, holistic problem solving, building scale and direct materials supply. In addition to the moral obligation to reduce carbon emissions, the WCA was warning as far back as October 2018 that, if it didn’t take action, the cement sector could soon be facing aggressive moves on the climate-change issue from investors, regulators and other stakeholders. Following his comments at the WCA conference, Riley delivered an address at the Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF), part of November’s COP26 UN climate-change

www.AggBusiness.com


WCA CONFERENCE

will be spending less on owning and running their cars than they do today. “Cement is one sector where we really don’t know how to get to zero carbon except by adding carbon capture and storage to the existing processes…. because of those emissions resulting from the very chemical process of turning calcium carbonate into calcium oxide,” said Turner. “So, in the cement sector we know that there will be an additional cost and we know that it will take time.” Turner made a clear appeal to the cement industry, saying that it needs to squeeze out as many emissions reductions as it can in areas such as increasing energy efficiency in kiln operation and by beginning to employ CCUS. He said the industry must take action and that it needs to do it now, setting out a clear and believable path. The ETC calculates that it may be possible to have a 0.3 gigatonne (10-15%) reduction in cement industry emissions by 2030, compared with a one gigatonne reduction (up to 35%) in the steel sector. Turner said the crucial thing for the cement sector is to measure the progress made during the 2020s, not only by the beginning of an actual material reduction, but by having clear pathways, strategies, investment plans, technological

www.AggBusiness.com

WCA chief executive Ian Riley says the cement industry must find new ways to cut CO2 developments and commitments to working out how and when carbon capture and storage is going to be done. He added that the sector “needs to be on a path which is beginning to get the reductions we need in the 2020s, but is on a clear and believable path to that net zero by 2050 which we need to achieve.” Guloren Turan of the Global CCS Institute, an international think tank for accelerating the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), says that the global CCS facility has continued to grow in 2021 for the fourth consecutive year, increasing by almost a third year-on-year. “In the first nine months of 2021 we added 70 new commercial facilities to our database, bringing the total number to 135,” she adds. Turan says that seven of these facilities are in operation, four are under construction,

and the remainder are in various stages of development. She adds that the key driver for CCS deployment has been the adoption of more ambitious climate targets and increased climate action, both from governments and the private sector, seeing the strengthening business case for CCS. More than 100 countries and over 1,000 companies now have net-zero targets. “This has created a virtuous circle in the sense that governments are putting in place more supportive policies for CCS and the private sector, seeing the strength for CCS is advancing new projects and developing new business models to reduce cost and risk,” says Turan. “With this I particularly mean CCS networks and clusters.” The WCA is developing a decision-making tool to help companies in the cement sector achieve the industry’s net-zero targets by turning them into actions. Matthias Mersmann (chief technology officer at cement sector process engineering company KHD International) is on the WCA’s technology & sustainability steering committee, which works to develop its net-zero roadmap and the decision-making tool. Mersmann says that all the cement sector roadmaps that have been published by companies and industry associations stress that the decade leading up to 2030 is decisive in taking action to deliver on the net zero ambitions. The WCA technology & sustainability steering committee has set out the various technology options that are available to the cement sector on the path to net-zero. These include the application of lower energy consumption technologies in the cement and

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

47


WCA CONFERENCE

raw material grinding process, in addition to pre-processing and recycling of spent concrete. Mersmann says there are a number of ways available to phase out CO2 along the cement production process, such as using low-carbon carbide slag as raw material in the production of the cement clinker used in Portland cement. CO2 produced during the cement manufacturing process can also be recycled and utilised for concrete curing, which assists in the strength development of concrete and improves its durability potential. Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business coalition which works with businesses to address climate change, says it is encouraging that 15 cement companies have so far joined the UN-backed ScienceBased Targets Initiative that enables companies in the private sector to set science-based emissions reduction targets. “The cement industry is waking up to the fact that many of the players in it are going quite fast,” she adds. “We have seen that some are watching, while others are doing. As they see that some of the leading players like Dalmia Cement in India are going faster, they then think that they can also go faster. I think the rest of the industry should be worried because if they don’t pick up this train then there’s going to be quite a distance with the leading companies. “The industry is quite conscious that they have to go faster. There is pressure from investors, and we are also going to see an increased demand for low-carbon products from the sector.” She adds that putting incentives in executive pay and extending these further down the chain at companies can help achieve decarbonisation targets. “There are plenty of very talented engineers who can find solutions to reduce the amount of emissions in their activities,” says Mendiluce. “It’s just about putting the right incentives and targets in place.”

Dalmia Cement CEO Mahendra Singhi Dalmia Cement’s CEO Mahendra Singhi says that, despite the emissions challenges that the cement sector faces, it is possible to abate. In 2018 the company announced its commitment to be carbon negative by 2040 and Singhi says it has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the global cement sector, as well as being one of the industry’s most profitable companies. He adds that the industry is making further strong efforts towards decarbonisation, citing the announcement on October 14 by members of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) of their roadmap to make

48

© AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

Global cement price variations between 2020 and 2021 (estimated year-on-year % change in local currency) Source: On Field Investment Research

GLOBAL CEMENT SECTOR RECOVERS IN 2021 2021 has been a year of recovery for the global cement sector following the COVID lockdowns in 2020, according to building materials industry analyst On Field Investment Research (OFIR). Yassine Touahri - a founding partner at the London, UK-based research company – says that estimated global cement demand in 2021 will be 8.6% higher than 2020 year-on-year (excluding China) and 5.8% higher including China. Compared with the pre-COVID year of 2019, Touahri predicts that global 2021 cement demand will be up by 5-6%, driven by post-lockdown recovery in new housing (and to a lesser extent in public works), and solid trends in DIY cement use. “Trends for office build-

ing are still under pressure,” he added. Touahri predicts that global cement prices will increase by 5.5% excluding China, and 9% including China. “Since September we have seen a massive increase in Chinese cement prices of nearly 50%, which was much above our expectations,” he says. “This reflects an environment where coal and power prices are increasing very quickly, power cuts are visible, and the cost of importing clinker has increased quite a lot.” OFIR predicts global cement prices in US dollars including China will increase by 12% this year (3.7% excluding China). In terms of the outlook for 2022, OFIR founding partner Arnaud Pinatel says that –

concrete a net-zero product by 2050. Fuel giant BP works closely with the cement sector at both ends of the value chain, providing energy for its production processes and also purchasing cement products. Nikki Grady-Smith, BP’s senior VP city & corporate integrated solutions, says inter-sector partnerships and collaborations will be critical in accelerating decarbonisation. “We are working with large companies like CEMEX and collaborating together on solutions to move the agenda forward,” Grady-Smith adds. She said there should be both some

while visibility for the year is limited – cement demand for the year is predicted to increase by 4.5% excluding China (and to decrease by 0.3% when China is included). He adds that the 2021 trend of moderate increases across most global markets will be continued into 2022. “Order books are remaining solid, even if there are tensions in the supply chain,” says Pinatel. “These tensions are impacting the ability of contractors to deliver their projects on time. The risk is more on the supply than the demand side. Demand is still relatively solid when we look at the order books.” Pinatel says the main question for 2022 is how long the current supply-side shortage (in labour, raw materials and logistics) will last.

self-regulation by the cement industry and government policies to help the sector further reduce its carbon footprint. She cited the steel sector’s ResponsibleSteel initiative which has established some standards and certification protocols for environmentally-friendly and ethically produced steel. “That gives customers confidence in those circumstances to purchase,” she adds. “In addition, government and policy makers can encourage production methods to change, and customers to demand new low-carbon solutions moving forward as well.” AB

www.AggBusiness.com


EQUIPMENT UPDATE

Terex MPS plant supplies Pan Borneo Highway Project Malaysian quarrying and asphalt company Asas Nikmat Sdn Bhd (ANSB) has selected a Terex MPS plant to supply steady, reliable aggregates for the Pan Borneo Highway Project. The Pan Borneo Highway (PBHS) is Malaysia’s biggest road project that spans over 2000km, connecting two East Malaysian states together, Sarawak and Sabah. Once complete, the PBHS will establish a transportation backbone and deliver significant economic benefits to the region. ANSB, one of the local aggregate producers selected for the project, turned to Ireland-based Terex MPS for a solution that would meet its needs. “Our previous dealings with Terex MPS gave us confidence that their equipment is reliable and well-engineered,” said Andrew Wah, director at ANSB. “We required a plant that could provide a large output capacity while having the flexibility in producing different types of aggregates, based on the project’s demand.” The solution was a 350tph Terex MPS plant, consisting of a

A Terex MPS plant is producing 350tph of aggregates for the project ST47 single toggle jaw crusher that features large gape feed openings, high production and low operating costs. These rugged machines are manufactured with heavy-duty parts for constant operation and long life. As well as this, the plant features three cones, G30 cone crusher (which suited the project’s need to be able to take in large lumps of 345mm from the 6 by 9-inch tunnel), J35 cone, and TC1000 cone. Terex MPS says that together

this equipment provides a robust, reliable solution for feeding 700mm sandstone at approximately 350tph to produce -50 + 0 aggregates, to be used for road base throughout the highway project. It has been operating onsite for two years and will continue to perform for many years until the project has been completed. “The equipment is performing above our expectations, delivering more capacity, better shaped product and requiring less main-

tenance,” said Wah. “What we have also appreciated is the support provided by Terex MPS - the team were a great help and resource during the planning and commissioning of the plant. They were able to communicate effectively with our team to ensure that it was optimised to meet our specifications while also achieving the robust safety, functionality and performance standards needed for our jobsite. The result is a plant that is operating effectively, with minimal downtime.” Benjamin Tong, sales manager at Terex MPS, commented: “ANSB has an excellent reputation for providing their customers with the highest quality service and products that perform for their requirements. Having them choose Terex MPS for this largescale construction project is a terrific testament to the safety and high performance of our equipment, coupled by the close aftermarket support we provide to our customers to make sure our equipment is operating as required.”

www.terex.com/mps

Intercomp launches test stand for wheel load scales Intercomp has the CSP portable test stand as part of its complete line of test and calibration equipment. US-based Intercomp, a manufacturer of fixed and portable vehicle weighing and measurement products, says the stand is optimised for mobility and can be transported using integrated forklift pockets and can be set up on any flat, level surface, such as a floor or truck bed. Specifically designed for wheel load scales, the size is designed to provide users with an economical and flexible solution for locations with limited space or for bringing to job sites or locations where a large number of scales are stored. With a capacity of 13,600kg and a test platform area of

www.AggBusiness.com

787mm x 1219mm, the press is capable of calibrating a wide range of Intercomp’s single- and dual-tyre portable wheel load scales. The high-speed hand pump uses standard hydraulic fluid and features two speeds. The high-quality hydraulics offer long-term stability of applied loads and parameters for the prevention of overloading. Intercomp says the portable calibration system “presents calibration labs with a cost-effective, easy-tomanoeuvre mobile test stand for portable wheel load scales”. The company also offers factory calibration services yearround that can be arranged by calling its service department.

The new Intercomp portable test stand

www.intercompcompany.com © AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

49


EVENTS | FOR A FULL LIST OF EVENTS VISIT WWW.AGGBUSINESS.COM/DIARY

2022 JANUARY 18-20: World of Concrete Las Vegas, NV Organiser: Informa Email: registration@ worldofconcrete.com https://www.worldofconcrete.com

MAY

OCTOBER

05-07: RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, Germany Organiser: Messe Karlsruhe Tel: +49 (0) 721 3720 2300 Email: verena.schneider@ messe-karlsruhe.de www.recycling-aktiv.com

24-30: bauma Munich, Germany Organiser: Messe München Tel: +49 89 949 11348 Email: info@bauma.de www.bauma.de/en/

MARCH

JUNE

29-31: AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo Nashville, TN Organiser: NSSGA Email: info@nssga.org https://www.agg1.org/

21-23: Hillhead Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, England Organiser: The QMJ Group Tel: +44 (0) 115 945 4377 Email: Harvey.sugden@qmj.co.uk www.hillhead.com

29-31: World of Asphalt 2022 Nashville, Tennessee Organisers: NAPA, AEM & NSSGA Tel: +1 (414) 274 0644 www.worldofasphalt.com

MEET THE TEAM Aggregates Business travels the globe attending conferences, events and equipment shows, keeping you informed of the latest offerings. Come and join us for a chat at any of the events below.

NOVEMBER 07-09: Trimble Dimensions Las Vegas, NV Organiser: Trimble https://dimensions.trimble. com/live

JUNE 2022 21-23: Hillhead 2022 Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, Derbyshire, England OCTOBER 2022 24-30: bauma Munich, Germany

AUGUST 30-02: M&T Expo 2022 São Paulo, Brazil Organiser: Messe Munchen Tel: +55 11 3868-6340 Email: info@mtexpo.com.br https://www.mtexpo.com.br/en/

These dates were correct at the time of going to press, but please note that the COVID-19 pandemic means some events may be rescheduled with little advance notice

ADVERTISERS INDEX Advertisers in AGGREGATES BUSINESS can now be contacted via their websites - for instant links to all the websites listed below, by category, go to: www.AggBusiness.com COMPANY

PAGE NO

WEBSITE

Ammann

p42

www.ammann.com

Atlas Copco

p39

www.atlascopco.com/zenergize

Bell

p25

www.bellequipment.com

BKT

p36

www.bkt-tires.com

CAT

IFC

www.cat.com/secretlifeofquarries

Matec

p41

www.matecindustries.com

Metso

OBC

www.mogroup.com

Powerscreen

p23

www.powerscreen.com

Sumitomo

p4

www.sumitomokenki.com

Terex Trucks

p27

www.rokbak.com

Terex Washing Systems

p31

www.terex.com/washing

TO EVENTS ON THE GO

www.constructiontv.tv Contact: Roger Adshead | radshead@ropl.com | +44 7768 178163

World of Asphalt

50

IBC

www.worldofasphalt.com

AGGREGATES BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL November/December 2021

www.AggBusiness.com


LEADING ASPHALT TRADE SHOW AND CONFERENCE “This was my first show and it was a great experience. Being able to see and talk with all of the vendors within our industry was a huge benefit for my current position and professional growth. I now feel as though I have a better understanding of our industry and what vendors are available as well as technologies. This adds excellent value to our organization.” — Jamie Bailey, Lehigh Hanson

March 29-31, 2022 | Nashville, Tennessee Register for tickets at worldofasphalt.com


When only the best will do Lokotrack® Liveroom with free rotating 3D models Visit Metso Outotec’s virtual Liveroom for the Lokotrack® range of mobile crushers, screens, parts and services. Virtual showroom | Interactive 3D demos live.mogroup.com

mogroup.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.