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In full swing | - the construction work above the Rio Pachún. The new plant here will soon be producing cement for the entire region. |
Polysius, a ThyssenKrupp Technologies subsidiary, received an order from Cementos Progreso, a leading Central American cement manufacturer, to build a turnkey cement plant near San Juan in Guatemala. The factory is designed to produce up to 4,500 tons of cement clinker per day. Participating in the project are the Polysius companies in Mexico, Spain, Argentina, the USA and Germany.
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Rugged territory | - The narrow access road is around 2,000 meters above sea level
in the densely populated highlands of Guatemala. |
In addition to all process machinery, the scope of the order also
includes numerous ancillary buildings such as laboratories and
workshops. Alongside the POLRO rotary kiln and the POLYTRACK
clinker cooler, individual components to be supplied include
above all three QUADROPOL mills. Furthermore, modern technology
to reduce emissions will enable Polysius to meet the high
environmental standards specified by the customer.
Work on the project will be challenging for all involved, whether
they are responsible for the complex machinery, the construction
of the buildings or the logistics. Before the cement
plant can go into operation in just a few years, over two million
cubic meters of earth will first have to be moved, says Andreas Claes, overall project manager. Structures built on the loose
volcanic soil also have to meet the highest earthquake
resistance standards. During the rainy season hurricanes
frequently cause landslides and road erosion.
Together with the abundance of raw materials, the site’s
advantageous location to the northwest of Guatemala City was a
key reason for going ahead with the project. Furthermore, major
state-funded infrastructure projects are planned nearby.
By agreement with the customer, start-up of the factory is
scheduled for 2012.
Fabian Schmidt |
