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Patagonia comprises the southern regions of Argentina and Chile.
East of the Andes, in Argentine territory, endless plains stretch as
far as the Atlantic coast. The wind, strong and never ceasing,
sweeps across the almost treeless plains, reaching speeds of up
to 200 km per hour and drying up an arid region.
In the middle of an inhospitable landscape, Petroquimica
Comodoro Rivadavia SA is erecting a 2,000-tpd cement
production line and has contracted Polysius to supply the machines
and equipment. The new plant is situated in the Argentine
province of Santa Cruz, which has the same size as Great
Britain and Northern Ireland together, but counts only some
200,000 inhabitants.
Although the province is in a remote part of the country, it has been experiencing growth. in both economy and population for many years now. The residents earn their living mainly by sheep farming or in the oil and natural gas industry. Rio Gallegos, its rapidly growing capital located completely in the south, is an important starting point for tourists travelling the south of Patagonia.
The new cement production line is located in Pico Truncado in the
northeastern part of Santa Cruz; with a population of roughly
15,000 it is one of the largest towns of the province. So far, Petroquimica
Comodoro Rivadavia SA has operated a 1,000-tpd plant
in Comodoro Rivadavia, approx. 130 km northeast of Pico Truncado.
In this small plant, cement is produced by the wet process
method. It will be closed down as soon as the new plant has been
commissioned.
From the raw material preparation to the cement grinding, including
the quality assurance system, the new line is equipped with
state-of-the-art components from Polysius.
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