Ibeto Cement expands import terminal with FLSmidth Kovako

Many companies today benefit from combining low-cost bulk cement with sea freight. This either requires building new import and export terminals or expanding existing operations. The latter was the case when Ibeto Cement asked FLSmidth Kovako to supply a complete solution that could be quickly delivered and integrated with no disruption to its processes.

FLSmidth Kovako was recently awarded a contract for the expansion of Ibeto Cement’s bulk cement import terminal in Port Harcourt on the west coast of Africa. Together with FLSmidth Pneumatic Transport in the US and FLSmidth Ventomatic in Italy, FLSmidth supplied new equipment that doubled the plant’s bulk cement importing capacity.

Increasing capacity

Because of the increase in unloading capacity, the plant’s storage capacity needed to be adjusted from 40,000 tonnes to 60,000 tonnes and, as a result, the bagging capacity of the plant also needed to be stepped up. And due to poor soil quality and limited available space, the team needed a solution with a small load. The result was a battery of four steel-bolted silos and two new selfsupported rotary packer lines installed next to the existing flat storage.

New equipment, new processes

Among the new equipment for Ibeto Cement was an FLSmidth Kovako pneumatic shipunloader (model G4-40) – a diesel-powered, gantry-mounted shipunloader that can unload up to 50,000 dwt at a rate of 450 tph. The plant also got a new 4,000 tonnes storage facility and two FLSmidth Ventomatic self-supported bagging lines with rotary packers rated at 2400 x 50 kg bags per hour (model GV8/PLUS), plus loading trailer systems (CDB/9-10).

The bulk cement is now transported pneumatically from ship to silo by the FLSmidth Kovako shipunloader. It is then taken pneumatically through a combined system of M300 FK pumps and FLSmidth vane compressors to the bagging lines. The whole system has a low load footprint and is fully enclosed in steel pipes that transport the bulk cement in an environmentally friendly way.

As well as this proprietary equipment, the contract included the delivery of all necessary items to make the plant fully operational. This meant that FLSmidth Kovako also supplied generator sets, MCCs, process control systems and more.

Delivering a group effort

FLSmidth Kovako, FLSmidth Pneumatic Transport and FLSmidth Ventomatic came together to provide the customer with a full range of options and solutions to suit its needs.

The shipunloader was delivered to the site fully-assembled – and was connected to the transfer line and operational in just a matter of hours. All other equipment is modular and was easily transported in 40 foot containers. The full expansion should be completed before mid 2010.

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Learn more about the G-4/40