WORLD CEMENT

November 2015

November 2015

....we know the way forward

www.worldcement.com

Hoervelsinger Weg 17-21 89081 Ulm Phone: +49 731 1551-0

www.fum-vas.de

CONTENTS

NOVEMBER

WORLD CEMENT REGULARS

26

39

05 Comment
09 News
19 Keynote: Milling in the Early British Cement
Industry
Edwin Trout, The Concrete Society, UK, details the history
and development of the early cement industry in Britain.
138 Product News
144 Regional Report Infographic

WORLD CEMENT PLANT TOUR

26 Plant Tour: Hanson Ketton Plant
Joseph Green visited Hansons cement plant in Ketton,
Rutland, to find out more about the companys production
line and environmental projects.

45 Olive Residue Utilisation Through the Coal Mill

Mamoon Obeidat, the Operation Team and the Project
Team at Manaseer Cement Industry, Jordan, summarise the
simulation and real-time results of the co-grinding and
pyro-trial of olive residue as an alternative fuel.

REGIONAL REPORT: AFRICA & THE

MIDDLE EAST

52 A Complete Solution
Eric Hartmann, HAVER & BOECKER, Germany, outlines the
turnkey project carried out for Cimfaso.

32 Commissioning Amid a Revolution

Samir Sabry, BMIC Cement Company, Egypt, relates the
difficulties associated with building a cement plant during
the mass uprising of 2011, and the solutions devised to
overcome them.
39 Growing with Demand
Safar M. Dhufayer, SPCC, Saudi Arabia, outlines the growth
of the company in parallel with the new initiatives of the
Saudi government.

WASTE HEAT RECOVERY

58 ORC Solutions for Heat Recovery Applications
Riccardo Vescovo, Turboden, Italy, outlines the main features
and installations of Organic Rankine Cycle units.
65 Waste Heat Recovery Project
Lucky Cement, Pakistan, outlines the projects undertaken by
the company to reduce costs and limit environmental impact.

FILTERS, BAGHOUSES, ESPs

WORLD CEMENT

70 World Cement Interview: AAF

World Cement talks to AAFs Alberto Arregui, Environmental
Systems Global Manager and AAF Spain General Manager,
about the companys more than 90-year history and the
development of the air filtration market.

November 2015

November 2015

THIS MONTHS COVER

....we know the way forward

Long-term satisfied customers are our driving force and the aim of the
work we do every day. More than 3000 customers that we have worked in
partnership with over the years can confirm this. Whether public facilities,
medium-sized companies or large concerns: with the most modern of
technologies our experts help to make your processes more efficient when it
comes to technology, organisation and administration.

www.worldcement.com

Hoervelsinger Weg 17-21 89081 Ulm Phone: +49 731 1551-0

www.fum-vas.de

2014 10 18 Plakat VAS.indd 1

18.10.14 18:36

Palladian Publications Ltd

15 South Street, Farnham, Surrey
GU9 7QU, ENGLAND

Volume 46: Number 11

Tel +44 (0)1252 718999

Fax +44 (0)1252 718992

ISSN 02636050

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.worldcement.com

November 2015

CONTENTS
75 Hot Gas Filtration
Pierre Henri Thifaine, Kermel, France, discusses the use of a
new fibre able to withstand high temperatures.

NOVEMBER

45

65

81 Solutions for ESP Performance

Thompson Tsai, Daniel Gunawan and Saengson
Kriswatanakorn, Tai & Chyun Associates Industries Inc.,
Taiwan, discuss the flexible solutions available to
increase the performance and reliability of electrostatic
precipitators.
85 Investigating Filter Bag Technology
Lorenzo Balzaretti, Testori, Italy, describes how the company
engaged in a programme to improve the gas treatment
centres of two lines in Saudi Arabia.
91 Hot Gas Ceramic Filters
Purv Purohit, Ian Chisem, Richard Lydon & John Eleftherakis,
Clear Edge, Germany, discuss the use of CerafilTM ceramic
filter elements to meet increasingly stringent emission
requirements.

DOMES, SILOS, STACKING,

RECLAIMING
97 Stacking and Reclaiming High-Moisture
Materials
Marjan Bojdys, SCHADE Lagertechnik GmbH, Germany,
highlights a case study from Eastern Europe that showcases
the ability of the reclaimer to work with materials that have
a moisture content above 20%.
103 Size Matters
Rebecca Pyper, Dome Technology, USA, reports on a
70 000 t cement storage dome for St Marys Cement.

WEIGHING, FEEDING, DOSING

107 Dry Mix Plants and Powder Handling Systems
Kari Saarinen, Lahti, Finland, describes the benefits of
fluidisation technology over screw conveyors.

BURNERS, PREHEATERS,
PRECALCINERS, KILNS
111 Enhancing the Performance of Kiln Burners
Renata Favalli, Luis Filipe Fabiani & Luiz Felipe de Pinho,
Dynamis, Brazil, relate the findings of an investigation into
the performance of kiln burner heads.
119 Low-Cost Plant Upgrade Solutions
Tahir Abbas, Cinar Ltd., UK, & Josef Keuschnigg Jun.,
PM-Technologies GmbH, Austria, present case studies of
upgrade solutions.

ANALYTICS

71

91

127 Cover Story: Analytics in the Cement Industry

Jens Bschl, Fritz & Macziol, Germany, explores how
Industry 4.0 can be utilised to invent new innovations,
improve customer service and to differentiate from the
competition.

CRUSHING AND GRINDING

/ 71
70-74_WCT_November_2015.indd 71

22/10/2015 14:49

131 Primary Size Reduction

Extracts from Primary Size Reduction in Innovations
in Portland Cement Manufacturing, in which author
A.K. Chaterjee provides an outline of the size-reduction
process by crushing.

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COMMENT

NOVEMBER

Katherine Guenioui, Editor

[email protected]
Steel workers in the UK are
facing a bleak winter period,
as job cuts threaten a reported
one in six workers. Where once
the UK steel industry employed
upwards of 200000people,
that number has reportedly
dropped below 30000 and
continues to fall. Most recently,
plant closures by SSE and Tata
and the financial woes of
Caparo could contribute an
additional 5000more to the
unemployment line, leaving
entire towns to wonder at their future. The blame is
apportioned in two key directions: cheap imports from
China and the comparatively burdensome price of doing
business in the UK.
Making a living in any heavy industry in the UK is
expensive just ask the few remaining cement producers
here. Energy prices are among the highest in Europe,
putting the country on the back foot not only when it
comes to Asian imports, but also making it difficult to
compete with neighbouring countries. With Chinas own
steel demand dwindling, there is no doubt that imports
are an attractive option for construction projects looking
to save costs.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the UK at the
time of writing this column, and so of course the national
newspapers here are full of calls for David Cameron to
make the UKs position clear. Cameron, amid accusations
of kowtowing to Xi, has promised to raise the issue, but

one has to wonder what exactly he can say: Please, sir,

can you ask your companies not to sell their cheaper steel
to our willing customers?
The onus is on the UK government to introduce
measures to make it easier to produce steel in this
country. Meanwhile, the regulatory difficulties of either
making it harder to export to Britain or encouraging
contractors to buy British is adding fuel to the fire of
those arguing that Britain is better off out of the EU.
Further complicating matters is the 30billion Chinese
investment expected into the UK, which includes, among
other things, the nuclear power and aerospace industries.
Are the Chinese likely to specify British steel for such
projects?
The cement industry experiences similar problems
around the world. Most notably, we frequently report
on www.worldcement.com that African countries are
struggling with cheap Asian imports. We have also
reported previously on the problem of intra-Asian
cement dumping. One of the arguments against the
more stringent environmental regulations now in force
in the US was the danger of encouraging cheap imports.
Now, the cost of doing business there has risen and so
has demand. Time will tell whether those warnings come
true.
So how should a government balance the needs of
a public demanding infrastructure improvements with
the needs of a developing industry? And with projects
such as HS2 on the horizon in the UK, is the steel industry
giving up too soon? Answers on a postcard please, or
better still to our Linked In Group, where we now have
almost 6500members.

CONTACT DETAILS

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WORLD NEWS

NOVEMBER

Turkey KHD awarded OYAK contract

OYAK Aslan Cimento Sanayii T.A.S. awarded
KHD Humboldt Wedag a contract for the engineering
and delivery of equipment to upgrade its cement
grinding line. OYAKs 7th KHD roller press will be
installed at its plant in Darica-Kocaeli, Turkey.
The contract to install a new COMFLEXgrinding
system will increase the capacity of cement grinding
unit no. 1 by more than 100% and achieve energy
savings of approximately 20%, allowing Aslan Cimento
to maintain its position as one of the most significant
companies in the Marmara region.
KHDs scope of supply includes the engineering and
delivery of mechanical and electrical equipment, as well
as advisory supervision of erection and commissioning
for the new COMFLEXSC20-3250. This will be KHDs
4th COMFLEXgrinding unit and 15th roller press system
with V-Separator in Turkey.
The core equipment to be designed and delivered
by KHD, as specified in this contract, includes:

ll Clinker grinding system/COMFLEXSC20-3250.

ll Roller press RPZ 20-170/180 with ROLCOXsystem
for control and monitoring.
ll Cascade separator, type VS 620 as static classifier.
ll High efficiency separator SEPMASTER, type
SKS-VC 3250 as dynamic classifier.
ll System fan HKF 190/280.
The new COMFLEXsystem will be integrated
with the existing ball milll system. However, one
of the primary reasons Aslan Cimento chose KHDs
COMFLEXfor this project is its ability to produce
finished product without a ball mill unit.
With the installation of a COMFLEXgrinding
system, Aslan Cimento will have a system that is
equipped with the most advanced grinding technology
in the market.
The commissioning of the new COMFLEXsystem is
planned for 2016.

India JSW group announces new cement plant

The JSW group has announced that it will be investing
Rs.700 crore in setting up a 2.4 million t cement plant
at Salboni in West Midnapore district, Bengal. The
cement-grinding unit will be set up on 134 acres and the
employment in the plant will be 1000, including 150 direct
employees.
A 10 million t steel plant was originally planned for the
site, but construction did not begin due to coal and iron
linkages and problems with the land lease. According to
Chairman Sajjan Jindal, the decision was made to construct
the cement plant because the company wants to have some
activity at Salboni while the steel project is delayed.

The foundation-stone laying ceremony is

currently planned for the first week of January 2016
in the presence of the West Bengal Chief Minister,
Mamata Banerjee, and it is hoped that construction
will be completed within 12 months. A source for
raw materials for the grinding unit has already been
finalised.
After the cement plant, a 300MW captive power
plant will be built in the following three months at a
cost of Rs.2000 crore, and will be used for the cement
project, with the balance consumed by other group
companies.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Cemex 3Q15 results

CAC supports the Liberal Partys commitment

to lower emissions

ThyssenKrupp receives order to build cement

plant in Colombia

Limited growth for Brazilian construction

industry

To read more about these

articles go to:

November 2015
World Cement

/9

India UltraTech Cement expands capacity at Awarpur plant

According to reports, Indias Environment Ministry
has granted UltraTech Cement clearance to expand
capacity at its Awarpur plant in Maharashtra. It
will be an investment of Rs.248 crore, with the
company proposing to raise clinker production from
3.3 million tpy to 4.5million tpy, and to increase
cement output from 4.48million tpy to 6 million tpy.
Having examined UltraTech Cements proposal
in December 2014, the Expert Appraisal Committee
of the Union Environment Ministry suggested
green clearance, leading the Environment Ministry
to grant clearance subject to certain conditions.

UltraTechCement will be required to develop green

belt in over 33% of the total project area, install
air monitoring devices to monitor air emission, and
continuous stark monitoring facilities to monitor
gaseous emissions, amongst others.
UltraTech Cement must also earmark at least 5%
of the total cost of the expansion towards enterprise
social commitment and prepare a detailed CSP plan for
every five years of the existing/expansion project.
The expansion is to be carried out within the
existing 307.35-hectare plant area with the additional
power requirements being 5.1 MW.

Tanzania Dangote Cement commissions Tanzanian plant

company has plans to be present in 18 countries,
mostly across Africa but also in Nepal in Asia. The
Tanzanian plant is the fourth to be commissioned this
year as part of the companys expansion strategy, and
it hopes to commission plants in Senegal and South
Africa before the end of the year.
Mr Dangote has been praised by many for the
investment he has put into Africa. A representative for
the President of Nigeria spoke at the commissioning
ceremony, saying that Africa is taking its destiny into its
own hands rather than waiting on outside investment.
In turn, Mr Dangote praised the government and
people of Tanzania for providing an environment that
enabled investment.

Dangote Cement has commissioned its 3 milliontpy

cement plant in Mtwara, Tanzania. The plant
reportedly cost some US$600 million to build and will
provide direct employment for about 1500 people and
further indirect employment for some 9000 people.
The new plant is located in Msijute in Mtwara Rural
District.
The additional capacity brought to the market is
expected to bring down cement prices in Tanzania,
which currently range between Sh.12 500 13 500
per 50 kg bag. During the commissioning ceremony,
AlikoDangote, the companys Chief Executive,
expressed his intention to make Africa a cement export
continent, rather than being import-dependent. The

Sweden CHRYSO group acquires Betongkemi NordicAB

The CHRYSO group finalised the acquisition of Swedish
company Betongkemi Nordic AB on 31July2015. The
company, which is based near Gteborg, was formed in
2008 and has since experienced strong growth on the
Swedish market in both the ready-mix and the precast
concrete segments.
Through this acquisition CHRYSO intends to
consolidate its position in Europe, keep pace with

the development of Betongkemi on its domestic

market, and develop a platform for expansion in
Scandinavia from this base in Sweden.
The new subsidiary will offer CHRYSO
technologies aimed at the ready-mix concrete,
precast concrete, decorative concrete
and cement markets. It will be named
CHRYSONordic AB.

EVENTS
10 12 November 2015

01 04 December 2015

20th Arab International Cement

Conference & Exhibition

14th NCB International Seminar

on Cement & Building Materials

Cairo, Egypt

New Delhi, India

www.ncbindia.com

www.bauma.de

12 14 May 2016
Cementtech

15 19 May 2016

www.aucbm.org

19 21 April 2016
POWTECH
Nrnberg, Germany
www.powtech.de

10 \

November 2015
World Cement

Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China

www.cementtech.org

11 17 April 2016
Bauma
Munich, Germany

IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry

Technical Conference
Dallas, Texas, USA
www.cementconference.org

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France New research pole in the Lyon-St Etienne area

Seven industrial groups and two research laboratories
have come together to create a research pole in
the Lyon-St Etienne area, with a view to becoming
a recognised centre for the study of polymerisation
and polymeric materials in France. The Lyon
Polymer Science and Engineering pole includes
Arkema, Bluestar Silicones, Hutchinson, Nexans,
Solvay, Toray and Total, all of which signed a special
partnership-agreement with the CNRS, INSA-Lyon, the
Universit Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and the Universit
Jean Monnet in St. Etienne on 1 July 2015.
The research pole is built upon the skills and
technical expertise of two laboratories, the laboratory
for the Engineering of Polymeric Materials and the
laboratory of Chemistry, Catalysis, Polymers and
Processes, and is also associated with the mixed
SOLVAY/CNRS unit of the laboratory for Polymers and
Advanced Materials.

Key aims of the pole include:

ll To include the pole in other local laboratories,
industrial groups and small to medium sized
businesses.
ll To develop long-term partnerships in order
to maintain and develop high-level research,
reinforce innovative applied research and
build upon this expertise to develop innovative
disruptive technologies.
ll To build upon a broad skill set to aid with the
training of both R&D scientists and technicians.
ll To pool specific equipment, resources and
analytical techniques.
It is hoped that the pole will become one
of the flagship projects for the creation of the
Institute dExcellence of the University of Lyon in the
next few years.

USA Cemex plants win ENERGY STAR certification

Four Cemex USA cement-manufacturing plants have
earned the US Environmental Protection Agency
ENERGY STAR Certification in 2015. Plants in Miami, FL.,
Clinchfield, GA., Fairborn, OH. and Victorville, CA. have
been recognised. This ranks the performance of these
facilities among the top 25% of similar US facilities for
energy conservation, and marks the ninth consecutive
year of certification for the Clinchfield plant, the fifth
for the Miami plant and the fourth for the Victorville
and Fairborn plants.
Three Cemex USA ready-mix plants (La Porte, TX,
Mission, TX, and Rosenburg, TX) met the ENERGY STAR
challenge by committing to the pre-established goal of

reducing energy intensity by 10% within 5 years or less

by the replacement and use of more energy efficient
parts and equipment, such as dust collectors, conveyor
belt pulleys and lighting.
Cemex is committed to sustainable practices
throughout our operations, including energy
efficiency, said Karl H. Watson, Jr., President of Cemex
USA. We are honoured to again be recognised by
the EPA and ENERGY STAR for our commitment to
sustainable practices.
Cemex is a corporate partner of the
EPA ENERGYSTAR programme and is an active
proponent of the importance of energy efficiency.

IN BRIEF
On 19 September,
BuzziUnicems Robilante
plant celebrated its 50th
anniversary with a day of
celebrations for all those who
work or have worked for
and with the company. The
day, which commemorated
both Buzzi Unicem and its
predecessor PRESA Cements,
was attended by more than
670 current and former
employees and family
members, along with the
Mayor of Robilante.

12 \

November 2015
World Cement

Aalborg Portland has

welcomed the Danish
governments decision to
remove the NOX tax, as
announced in the 2016
budget. The additional cost
caused by the increased NOX
tax in 2012 created a difficult
competitive environment
for the company, and the
recent decision has given it
confidence in the investing
environment. The reduced
tax burden will contribute to
more jobs at the plant.

4B Components Ltd.
announced that Randy
Longbrake has been
appointed as its National
Sales Manager for the
materials handling division.
With a wealth of industry
experience, he will enable
4B to continue to develop
innovative solutions for its
customers, thereby continuing
its success at providing
material handling products to
many of the top companies in
North America.

Turkey TMB International Technical Seminar and Exhibition

attracts 550 delegates
The 13th TMB International Technical Seminar
and Exhibition was held in Antalya, Turkey, on
7 10 October. The event is organised by the
Turkish Cement Manufacturers Association with the
aim of sharing current developments in the cement
industry and has been running since 1987.
Some 17 papers were given during the technical
portion of the event, which had as its theme
Sustainable Environment and Energy. The papers
covered low carbon technologies, industrial

14 \

November 2015
World Cement

symbiosis, use of wastes and innovation and new

technologies.
The event was attended by 550 participants
and 99 companies took part in the exhibition.
Manufacturers were able to follow up on recent
developments in the industry and participants had
the opportunity to consider new investments while
also benchmarking their businesses.
After a welcome cocktail on 7October, the
technical portion of the event began on 8October
with an opening address by Mr M. efik Tzn,
who noted that the journey of Turkeys cement
sector began with the Istanbul Darca plant in 1911
followed by the Republic Ankara Cement Plant in
1928.He said that, with 52integrated and in total
70production units, the Turkish CementIndustry
stands at the focal point of both the national
economy and the global cement business. Turkey
ranks first in European cement production and fifth
in the world. Mr Tzn added that the growth of
the construction and cement sector began with
housing, residential and commercial building before
2008, and has since been propelled by infrastructure
and energy projects. Moreover, urbanisation all over
the country, but particularly focused on earthquake
zones, has been a key element to the cement
industrys growth. He estimated that as many as
7million old housing units would be redeveloped
over the next 20years, with 1.7million in Istanbul
alone. The cement sector is contributing to the
Turkish economy by using and following methods
of sustainable production that are sensitive to the
environment. Concluding his speech, Mr Tzn
thanked the sponsors and participating companies,
as well as the organising team who put together
the event.
Also invited to speak were Mr Koen Coppenholle,
CEO of CEMBUREAU, who gave a presentation
on Sustainable Environment and Energy, and
Aisha Elaine Williams, World Bank Group Country
Manager for Turkey, whose presentation was entitled
Sustainability in Cement Sector, A Business Case and
Global Experiences. Shri Ashwani Pahuja, Director
General of Indias National Council for Cement
and Building Materials, and Mr Ahmad Al-Rousan,
Secretary General of the Arab Union of Cement and
Building Materials, also gave presentations.
The event concluded with a special gala
dinner. The main sponsors of the event were
Aybars Makine, ABB, Remsan, Grace, Aerzen,
Schneider Electric and Fosroc-Idea Constructive
Solutions. Siemens was the Special Sponsor and
zgnMakine, Fritz & Macziol Group and CNBM
were the Session Sponsors.

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Common misconception in cement production #2

Investing in training of
the local workforce has
no significant impact on
the bottom line
Wrong: At FLSmidth we not only design, build and operate cement plants
we also build a competent and reliable local workforce through training.
The results? A record-low employee turn-over rate of only 1,5%* helping to
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*Source: Impact Assesment Study, Deloitte & Qbiz 2015

Discover how we enable you to create a good, sustainable business at cement.flsmidth.com

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KEYNOTE

NOVEMBER

Milling in the Early

British Cement Industry
Edwin Trout, The Concrete Society, UK, details the history and
development of the early cement industry in Britain.

Pitstone mill. (Source: The Concrete Society)

Introduction
For decades the ball mill has dominated the grinding
processes in cement production, although more recently
the vertical roller mill has gained popularity. The tonnages
involved in the modern industry require processing plants
on a substantial scale and huge inputs of electrical energy
to power them this hasnt always been so. In the early
days of cement production, the industrial enterprises
concerned were small in scale, and harnessed the existing
technology of corn milling, in much the same way as they
adapted the crushing methods used for the preparation
of clay and whiting, and the furnaces and bottle kilns used
for producing glass and lime. The early mills were based

on those used to grind corn, with some adjustment to the

dressing of the traditional French burr-stones. Our present
perception of cement production as a heavy industrial
process can easily distract from a historical awareness of
the modest origins of our industry.
In so far as production processes feature in histories of
the cement industry as opposed to studies of significant
people, manufacturing companies or the evolving
chemistry of the product the emphasis tends to be on
pyroprocessing, with the kiln as the heart of the cementmaking process and its most characteristic element. The
beehive and bottle kiln, variations of the chamber kiln,
and the development of shaft kilns leading to todays

November 2015
World Cement

/ 19

Figure 1. Side elevation of a horse mill (Source: Pasley,

courtesy of the Concrete Society).
rotary kilns have dominated the standard histories. Mills,
both for raw materials and the finished product, receive
less attention, though the milling process is a vital one
and not without interest. Just as the grinding technology
was adapted from agriculture and related processing
industries, so the power sources of the day were also
adopted. Muscle, wind and water power have all played
their part in driving the processing equipment in cement
plants, for crushing and homogenising raw materials
with edge-runners and wash mills and grinding clinker
between horizontal millstones.
Horse mills
Some of the simplest were the horse-powered mortar mills
used for the crushing of chalk as a raw material. Charles
Pasley described the mortar mill in 1838:
The principal parts of such a mill are two broad
vertical iron wheels, carried around by means of a vertical
shaft, connected with their common axle, turning on a
pivot in the center [sic] of a shallow circular cast iron vessel
called the Pan, and secured at the top to a tie beam of
the building, in which the mill is erected. These wheels are
purposely placed at unequal distances from the center, one
of them being nearer to the pivot, and the other to the
outside of the pan. The axle of the two wheels is attached
rather loosely to the vertical shaft, so as to admit either
of them to rise, in passing over any lump of the materials
about to be ground, that may be larger or harder than
usual. The wheels may be 4 1/2 or 5 ft dia., and 10 to 15 in.
wide at the rim, which grinds the materials, and one of
them may be placed at the central distance of 18 in. and
the other of 24 in. from the center of the pan. A lever with
a yoke for a horse at the extreme end is connected with
the vertical shaft, and also with the ends of the axel by
some framework over the center of the pan. The distance
from the center of motion to the middle of the yoke, or in
other words, the radius of the horse path, may be 11 ft.1
Mortar mills were used at the cement plant at
Sheerness in 1811, once Parkers initial patent for Roman
cement had lapsed, and continued to be referred to in the
literature until as late as 1895.
Tide mills
As the cement industry came into being once the steam
age had begun, it is perhaps surprising that traditional

20 \

November 2015
World Cement

wind and waterpower remained in use at so late a date,

as the following examples will indicate. Throughout the
nineteenth century we see multiple sources of power
used, often at the same plant, and though the trend
was towards greater use of steam until the adoption
of electricity in the 1890s the harnessing of wind and
waterpower for cement production continued long after
they could reasonably be considered the norm.
Tide mills, a specialised form of water mill that harness
the power of the falling tide, were used from the outset.
James Parkers discovery of the cementitious nature of
septaria was first put into production by Samuel Wyatt
at Northfleet, under the monopoly conditions of Parkers
patent. A tide mill had existed at this riverside site for
many years and was previously described as a corn mill
by Sun Fire Insurance in 1782. Contemporary reference to
the new business arose just a year after its establishment,
in Hasteds survey of 1797, which described it as now used
for the making of a composition of stucco for buildings,
the principal application of Parker & Wyatts cement.
Writing on 30 July 1810, Goodrich noted that
Mr Green. Millwright [of Sheerness] made the stones
for grinding cement for Mr Wyatt. He says Mr Hall, of
Dartford, is probably acquainted with this machinery
from having given an estimate for putting in some new
machinery at Mr Wyatts mill at Northfleet, where he has
a Tide Mill for bruising and grinding and a Wind Mill for
grinding only.2 This suggests that tidal power was used
for the preparation of raw materials, and the windmill for
grinding the finished product.
The tide mill was marked cement on the
first Ordnance Survey map. In 1844, however, the
London Gazette records the bankruptcy proceedings of
Walter Westrup and Thomas Cocksedge, millers and ships
biscuit bakers of Shadwell and Northfleet respectively. It
would appear that the mill was no longer used for cement
making and had reverted to flour milling.
Charles Francis, one of the major manufacturers of the
early nineteenth century, made his famous Medina cement
at the old tide mill on the west bank of the Isle of Wights
Medina river. Built in 1790 as a corn mill, West Medina was
sold to Charles Francis & Sons in 1840. The old buildings
were used for cement production until the site was
modernised in the 20th century under the ownership of
APCM. Also briefly used for cement making was the tide
mill at Thorrington in Essex.
Water mills
More conventional water mills were also turned
over to cement making too. One of the earliest was
William Atkinsons Mulgrave cement plant at Sandsend,
near Whitby in Yorkshire. It was established in 1811 on an
estate owned by the Earl of Mulgrave, where, on the north
bank of the Mickleby Beck, a wooden building contained
the grinding mill. It was driven by a water wheel, itself
powered by a millrace some three quarters of a mile in
length. Here cement stone was burnt in a kiln, then
broken, and pounded with stampers, and last ground to
powder in a mill.3 The plant was finally closed in the 1930s
after a working life of 120 years. Though the buildings

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Figure 2. Mulgrave cement mill, Sandsend (Source:

Whitby Museum).

Figure 3. The wheelpit at Mulgrave cement mill

(Source: Prof Dave Hughes).

Figure 4. Lode Mill with cement works, 1911 (Source:

Cambridge Community Archive).

22 \

November 2015
World Cement

no longer exist, the kiln is still standing, and the wheel pit
remains.
Another cement plant known to have harnessed
waterpower in the Roman cement era is the
Good Intent Mill at Isleworth. The Good Intent Society,
established in 1801, was one of several cooperative
societies set up to grind corn cheaply for members own
use. In order to build a mill, the Society bought land for
300 and cleared the Thames riverfront. The co-op was
wound up some time after 1826 and the site became a
cement plant owned by William Ashby of Staines. His
business, William Ashby & Son, was originally a river
haulage company specialising in building materials, but
very soon moved into cement manufacture. The raw
materials were dredged offshore at Brightlingsea and
bought up river to Isleworth where the mill was still
standing in 1888.
Water mills were also turned over to cement grinding
at Stoke on Trent and Ysceifiog, Flintshire in the first half
of the nineteenth century, but perhaps the best attested is
Lode Mill, on the Anglesey Abbey estate near Cambridge.
Here a Georgian corn mill was acquired by the Bottisham
Lode Cement & Brick Co in 1896, with four cement kilns
erected alongside and a low-grade clinker was produced
from the local marl. It was ground between five sets
of horizontally mounted millstones. Operations were
suspended when the market collapsed in 1903, but were
revived in 1908 with the addition of two further kilns.
Production ceased in 1920 and after Anglesey Abbeys
acquisition by the National Trust, the mill was restored to
its earlier state and the associated kilns demolished.4
Windmills
Windmills, perhaps, represent the least expected form of
cement mill from our present perspective, where surviving
examples are now deemed an almost picturesque feature
of the landscape. An early example is the translocated post
mill set up by John Pattrick on the cliff tops at Dovercourt,
Harwich in 1821, where he ground cement stones from the
beach. The works continued until 1906, but by then had
long been steam powered.
Another early example is the Victoria Road Mill,
Woodbridge, where William Lockwood made Roman and
then Portland cement. Originally builders, and agents for
Parker & Wyatt, Lockwoods company turned to cement
manufacture in 1821. Having started with a horse mill,
equipped with stones from Mountsorrel, Leicestershire,
Lockwood had a windmill built in 1825. It comprised a
tower mill, with patent sails and a fantail, was fitted out
with granite edge-runners from Aberdeen, and is assumed
to have used river-dredged material from the Deben.
Unfortunately the mill lost three sails in a storm during
1841, with further damage two years later: On Saturday
morning about two oclock the sails of Mr Lockwoods
cement mill were struck by lightning, shivering a 6ft length
of timber from the sails.5 Gale damage probably caused it
to cease wind-powered operations from that date.
Best known of the cement industrys windmills is
High Mill at Berney Arms in Norfolk. A mill has stood on

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the River Yare as it enters Breydon Water since 1797, but

the surviving tower mill was erected in about 1865. It is
70 ft tall with a cap of the Norfolk boat type and has four
double-sided sails.
On the opposite side of the river was a factory making
cement from a combination of chalk and mud taken
from the Norfolk waterways, and the clinker was ferried

Figure 5. Berney Arms Mill, 1906 (Source: Alison

Yardy, Mills Archive).

Figure 6. Arundel post mill, preceeding tower mill

(Source: Mildred Cookson, Mills Archive).

Figure 7. Arundel cement mill c.1900 (Source: Mildred

Cookson, Mills Archive).

24 \

November 2015
World Cement

across to the earlier five-storey mill to be ground into

cement. The plant belonged to the Berney family and was
let repeatedly to tenants, one of whom was described
as brick and cement maker in 1836. Originally the
product would have been Roman cement, as is made
clear in an early advertisement for the leasehold: a Kiln,
Windmill and Warehouses with every convenience for the
manufacture of Roman Cement.6
In 1828 the premises were described as consisting
of kiln, manufactory, ten horse steam engine, extensive
warehouse, counting room, quay, roomy yard and two
cottages. Significantly the paper added: the windmill is
capable of being converted to any other trade requiring
great power, as it is built to draw four pairs of stones.7
That the purposes to which the mill was put were varied is
attested by another advertisement from 1836 in which the
Reedham cement plant and sawmills were to be let: the
Engine and Mill are employed in Grinding Cement, Sawing
and Draining Marshes of which a rent is paid.8
In 1847 the patent sail windmill, able to drive four
pair of stones was employed by Messrs Ramsden & Co in
the Cement Trade,9 and continued under Mr Reynolds to
1860. In that year The Reedham Cement Works driven by
steam and wind power was advertised for let.
When the present mill was built in 1865, it was
clearly as part of the adjoining cement plant and
specifically designed for grinding clinker for Portland
cement production. Ownership changed again and
Burgh Castle Cement Co occupied Berney works from
the early 1870s, but closed the kiln in around 1880. The
mill continued to grind clinker brought by wherry from
nearby Burgh Castle, with the resulting cement sent back
again until 1883 when grinding ceased and the mill was
converted to drainage.
Equally long lasting was the Arundel cement mill,
which was built to serve the Sussex cement industry that
grew out of an earlier trade in chalk whiting. The original
post mill closed for business after the bankruptcy of
Charles New and in 1825 was bought and converted to
grind cement. In 1838 Messrs Broadbridge and Armstrong
are recorded as cement manufacturers of Arundel and,
according to the tithe map of 1840, John Broadbridge
occupied the mill. By 1858, however, the milling
concern was being run by William Atfield, cement
manufacturer.10 As the original lease was shortly due
to expire, the construction of a new mill was started in
1861. While the mill was being built, it seems that Atfield
described as a millwright and cement manufacturer
acquired property at Bognor consisting of a cement
mill, cement kiln and two cottages. The kiln had been
operational from 1830 to 1854, and was perhaps still in use
while Arundel was out of service. Eventually the Arundel
mill was complete and an opening ceremony was held in
June 1864.
The new mill was a tower mill, painted white, and
powered with four single-sided sails. Like its predecessor,
it was used for grinding cement, with chalk being brought
down river from Amberley, where there was also a
windmill used for grinding cement. Atfield was succeeded

at the mill by his son, and later by a Mr Chamberlain. In

1898 (some sources suggest 1892) Arundel Cement Mill was
damaged by fire and pulled down. Nothing remains today.
Fazit
With little physical evidence of the early cement industry
surviving, it is easy to be oblivious of this developmental
phase in our history. In the infancy of cement making all
existing methods of grinding were explored, including
processes that were horse, wind and water powered. Corn
milling technology was adapted to this new purpose.
Specialist equipment and methods were developed,
especially once the more abrasive Portland cement
replaced the earlier Roman cement, and traditional mills
were abandoned, or at best the buildings incorporated
into new cement plants, as at Windmill Works, Bilston.
Some traditionally powered mills lingered on, though
these proved to be the exception in an industry that was
rapidly expanding and modernising during the 1880s and
1890s.
Nevertheless, traditional French burr millstones
remained key to the process throughout the 19thcentury.
They consistently produced the finest powders from their
combination of crushing and grinding actions, which was
especially important as fineness became a more exacting
requirement of the market. Despite modifications,
such as the incorporation of emery, or the assistance of
ancillary edge rollers and percussion mills, millstones were

not displaced in the finishing process until the advent of

continental ball and tube mills in the 1890s.
Note
Abridged from Edwin Trouts Traditional Milling Technology
in the English Cement Industry, 1796-1899, published by the
Mills Archive Trust, 2015.
The Mills Archive was established in 2002 as a permanent
repository for historical and contemporary material on
traditional mills and milling. It has rescued over 2 million
documents and images, promotes research and conservation,
and is the centre of excellence for its discipline. See more at
www.millsarchive.org.
References
1. PASLEY, C.W. Observations on limes, calcareous cements, etc. (1838).
2. GOODRICH, S. in FORWARD, A.E. Simon Goodrich and his work as an
engineer compiled from his journals and memoranda. Transaction of
the Newcomen Society, vol. XXXIV (1961-62).
3. ANON. A History of Whitby (1993).
4. WATTS, M. Lode Mill, Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire (Unpublished
report, 2012).
5. Suffolk Chronicle, 26 Aug 1843.
6. Norfolk Chronicle, 10Feb 1821.
7. Norfolk Chronicle, 13 Sept 1828.
8. Norfolk Chronicle, 25June 1836.
9. Norfolk Chronicle, 6 March 1847.
10. BLYTHMAN, G. Lost windmills of Sussex (2008), p.11-13.

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Plant Tour:

HANSON
KETTON
PLANT

26 \

Joseph Green visited

Hansons cement plant
in Ketton, Rutland, to
find out more about the
companys production
line and environmental
projects.

Introduction
As visitors wind their way through the scenic Rutland countryside, Hansons
Ketton Cement Plant strikes an imposing figure on the horizon. Drawing
closer, a real sense of energy and drive surrounds the plant, demonstrated
by the constant stream of Hanson trucks entering and leaving the works.
Driving through the entrance, visitors are met with the busy enthusiasm of a
plant tasked with providing nearly 10% of the UKs cement demand.
The Ketton plant started operations in 1928, beginning life with just one
kiln. Four kilns were constructed in the 1920s followed by an additional two
in the 1960s. The seventh was installed in the 1970s, marking the plants
switch to dry process kilns. Kiln 8 was designed and built in the 1980s, and
once operational, signalled the closure of Kilns 1 4. In 1987 Kilns 5 and 6
were also closed, leaving the Ketton site with two dry process kilns.
Today only Kiln 8 is operational at the Ketton Cement Plant after Kiln 7
was mothballed in September 2008. The plant boasts a cement production
capacity of 0.9 million tpy, stored within 16 towering silos, three of which
service London, six for bulk road transfer and seven for the packaged
product. A quarter of the product shipped to London is by rail, another
quarter in paper and plastic bags, with the remaining half travelling south
by bulk tanker.
Ian Evans, Technical Development Manager South, added that the
neighbouring Ketton quarry crushes around 1.3 million t of limestone a
year to feed the plant. The facility provides direct employment to around
220 people and has become increasingly prominent as a standard-bearer for
sustainability and safety.
Plant process
The Ketton quarry is located adjacent to the plant, is over a mile wide and
contains reserves of up to 20 years. Parts of the worked-out areas have been
designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The rocks on site have
been found to contain ammonites, brachiopods, bivalves, and fish remains.
The Lincoln Limestone Formation is exposed in the lower quarry, while the
top of this formation forms the floor of the upper quarry. The upper quarry
is in the Rutland Formation. At the very top of the exposures is the base of
The groundwater
recirculation system.

/ 27

the Oxford Clay, meaning that the entire spectrum of

the Middle Jurassic period can be seen at the Ketton
Quarry.
Stone has been extracted from the area since Roman
times. To reach the limestone formations, Hanson is
forced to dig through large deposits of clay. According
to John Taylor, Ambassador for Ketton, once Hanson
reaches the limestone, they drop about 3000 t of
explosives to gain access to the material. Alternative
raw materials are sourced from water treatment and
the paper industry. Similar to the stream of trucks
circulating the plant, multiple dumper trucks cut
through the quarry supplying the 62 m deep crusher
building sitting atop the clay. According to Taylor, the
impressive trucks have the capacity to move between
130 to 140 tph. Some 72 hammers are housed inside
the crusher itself, moving bulk material through at a
rate of 1800 tph. The crusher sends material through
onto the conveyor all at less than 75 mm.
The crushed material is subsequently transported
along a conveyor belt stretching for over 0.5 miles.
A recent investment has been made to the conveyor
belt to provide cross-belt analysis planned to

The cement works illuminated at night.

Aerial shot of the Ketton cement works.

28 \

November 2015
World Cement

improve product quality. Ian Evans commented that

the investment was made to create an even more
consistent product than we currently produce. The
crushed limestone is sent along the belt towards the
impressive 44 000 t storage dome processing 4000 tpd.
Inside the storage dome the giant arms of the Polysius
stacker and reclaimer slowly and methodically swing
across the mountainous heaps of material. The quarry
control room controls the stacker, while the kiln
control room controls the reclaimer. The raw material is
homogenised and stored inside the dome.
Having been through the homogenisation process, the
raw material is ground in a Polysius vertical roller mill and
dedusted by electrostatic precipitators. The 280 tph mill
has two rollers weighing 108 t and a 3.8 MW motor.
Kiln 8 was constructed in 1985 for a total cost of
72 million. It utilises alternative fuels such as Profuel
and Cemfuel. Kiln 8 also burns pulverised coal. Hanson
buys coal from the international market, as consistency
of the product is essential. The coal is analysed and
homogenised in a similar manner to the raw materials.
Approximately 45% of the fuel is burned at the base
of the preheater tower before the material passes into
the kiln. Kiln 8 at the Ketton Cement Plant was supplied
by Polysius and stands 68 m long and 4.2 m in diameter.
The kiln processes 2800 tpd of clinker, which then goes
to the grate cooler before heading to storage.
The clinker is processed through the two ball mills in
operation. Each mill contains two chambers, processing
110 tph of clinker with a power output of 4.4 MW. A
classifier inside the mill separates coarse grains that are
fed back through for re-milling.
At this stage the final product is sent to the
cement silos for storage before the process of bagging
and packing can begin. Five days a week approx.
900 1000t of cement is transported on train to be
taken to Hansons dedicated depot based at Kings Cross.
Packing line
Many major global cement manufacturers are
increasingly shifting the balance of cement packaging
towards vented polythene from the traditional paper
product. The Ketton Cement Plant has both a plastic
and a paper packing line.
The primary drive behind this switch in focus lies in
the benefits vented polythene packaging can offer over
paper. The most apparent of these is the advantage
vented polythene has when faced with water
interaction. This is one of the most common causes of
spoilage in paper sacks but is not a problem for vented
polythene due to the protective waterproof barrier
surrounding the cement. The barrier does not allow
water to enter but still permits the cement to breathe.
Furthermore, due to the typically porous nature of
paper sacks, which allow dust particles to escape, the
packaging can often appear untidy and can contribute
to general waste when in use. Vented polythene sacks
can appear cleaner in comparison and reportedly offer a
more pleasant handling experience for the user. Vented

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8 MW solar farm at Ketton cement works.

produced. BPI Visqueen provide the plastic bags, while
Italian producer Fiorini International makes the paper
bags for distribution. The cement plant has two packers.
One Ventomatic rotary packer for the paper bags,
and one packer for the plastic sacks, manufactured by
Arodo. The paper sacks consist of craft paper with a
PE liner to allow air movement between the cement
and the outside world.
Thousands of such bags are stacked into orderly
loads ready to be transferred into the trucks that hum
around the plant and on to their destinations.

Plastic packing line at the Ketton cement works.

polythene sacks are able to print in eight colours with
360 coverage.
The vented polythene sacks typically use less energy
to produce and generate less solid waste than paper.
The processing of the paper bags in the Ketton Cement
plant is also environmentally sound. All paper bags that
are split or damaged are recycled as fuel.
The Hanson Ketton Cement plant packing line
provides a good example of where both products are

30 \

November 2015
World Cement

Environmental impact
Hansons Ketton Cement plant clearly takes its
environmental impact seriously. One area that the
plant is focusing its attention on is fuel consumption.
Ketton utilises a variety of different fuels including
biofuel. Waste and biomass account for over 70%
of the fuel burnt in Hansons three cement plants.
The company also has a 2020 target to reduce CO2
emissions by 10% and to have 35% of its fuel usage
made up of biofuel.
Another means by which the company is reducing
its carbon footprint is through an award-winning solar
farm. The renewable energy farm, which has been built
on restored quarry land close to the plant, contains

Conclusion
The enthusiasm and energy that meets visitors
upon entry to the Ketton Cement Plant extends to
its employees. It is clear that the Hanson staff at
the plant care about the quality of the project and
the developments that the plant is undergoing.
The truck drivers, technicians, kiln operators
and management share a goal to produce a
product recognisable for its quality. This can be
demonstrated with the recent supply of Ketton
cement as the preferred choice for sprayed concrete
to the Crossrail project. The drive surrounding the
plant is evidenced by the attention to all aspects of
health and safety, coupled with a determination to
push forward with innovative new ideas and turn
them in to reality.
Hansons Ketton Cement Plant still shows
the evidence of past projects and developments.
Walking through the plant it is possible to clearly
see how the place has grown and changed as
technology has advanced. With the addition of
the solar farm, the plant begins to represent a
movement from old to new, as Hanson endeavours
to move with the times and constantly seeks to
adapt its approach.

55 000 panels producing 10 11 MW. The farm is

widely regarded as an enormous success by staff
at the plant, with the accomplishment persuading
Hanson to explore the potential for similar
installations at other sites.
The solar farm saves over 0.5 million tpy of
CO2. Originally the farm had a capacity of 9 MW
but this was recently increased by 3 MW. The farm
provides 13% of the electricity used by the plant.
As part of the agreement with the developer,
ArmstrongEnergy, Hanson takes 35% of the solar
power generated free of charge. The company then
buys the remaining 65% at a fixed rate.
The solar farm in Ketton is the first of its kind in
the UK cement industry. The success of the project
has led Hansons parent company HeidelbergCement
to consider options in Africa and beyond. There is
even a possibility in the future for floating solar
farms in ex-gravel works.
A further advantage of the solar farm is
that Hanson expect the panels to need cleaning
only twice in their 22-year lifespan. The ease of
maintenance is a bonus to a company already
reaping the rewards of the renewable energy
project.

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