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After the disintegration of the Soviet
Union in 1991, the generally expected
investment boom failed to materialise in
the former member states despite their
political reform efforts.
The minerals industry, however, is one of
the few exceptions. Owing to an expansion
of the raw material processing capacities,
investments were already being
made in this sector in the nineties.
Polysius obtained significant orders for
a diamond ore grinding plant in Yakutia,
a phosphate ore concentration plant in
Uzbekistan and a hot metal desulphurisation
plant in the Urals.
In the cement industry, on the contrary,
low prices and surplus capacities impeded
the long-overdue modernisation.
Since the late nineties, the economic situation
in Russia has stabilised increasingly.
Thanks to the high prices paid for
oil, natural gas and metals on the world
market, Russia has been blessed with
record revenues. Furthermore, its economy
has been enjoying high and continuous
growth since 1999.
Due to the economic upturn, demand for
cement has increased as well. While an
average growth rate of roughly 7 % is expected
in the east European countries,
Russia's growth rate amounts to approx.
10 %, which is considerably above average.
Moreover, the government is planning
to increase public investment in both
housing and the expansion and improvement
of the infrastructure. The high demand
for cement can no longer be met
by the existing production capacities.
However, the existing plants can only be
optimised to increase production up to a
certain point.
More than 85 % of the Russian cement
production lines are operated on the basis
of the obsolete and uneconomical wet
process method. In consideration of the
cost-benefit ratio, modernisation therefore
usually consists in the construction
of a new plant or, at least, in replacing acomplete kiln line - including the raw material
preparation system - with a new
one. The increase in the price of energy
will speed up the closing down of old
plants and the changeover to dry-process
technologies.
Since 2005, Polysius has been awarded a
number of contracts: modernisation of a
clinker cooler and supply of laboratory automation
equipment for Eurocement in
Lipetsk, automation units for Vostokcement
in Spassk and for Kysylkumcement
in Uzbekistan, as well as new kiln plants
for the Ukrainian lime industry.
At the end of 2007, the optimised kiln line
8 of the Michailovka plant run by Sebrijakovcement
was put into operation.
Thanks to several modifications of the kiln
line and to the modernisation of the
clinker cooler, clinker production was increased
from 1,700 tpd to 2,400 tpd.
Iskitimcement, too, has decided to build a
new kiln line with a throughput of 3,500
tpd clinker in partnership with Polysius.
The Irish CRH Group is going to build a
new clinker production line, fitted out with
ultramodern components supplied by
Polysius, in its Podilsky Cement plant inKamenets-Podilsky. With a production capacity
of 7,500 tpd, this plant is currently
the largest one in the Ukraine. Production
is to start in 2009.
Both the new line in the Ukraine and the
plant in Iskitim, Siberia, are equipped with
state-of-the-art technologies. They have
been designed for utmost energy efficiency;
their emission rates meet the
highest standard.
While in the beginning, demand was
mainly for individual machines and components,
there is now an increasing demand
for whole plants.
To be able to quickly and competently respond
to the demands of this market,
Polysius set up a subsidiary in Moscow in
March 2007 which supports customers all
over the Commonwealth of Independent
States.
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