The Kosmosdale expansion project [cement plant upgrade]

Kosmos Cement Company, a partnership between Southdown (now CEMEX, responsible for operation) and Lonestar Industries (now Heidelberger) decided in 1998 to increase the clinker production of the Kosmosdale plant from 2500 stpd to 4700 stpd. To achieve this capacity increase of almost 90%, extensive additions and modifications had to be made in almost all manufacturing areas. These main areas were the quarry stockpile stacker and river load out conveying, a new higher capacity rock barge fleet, upgrades to the limestone unloading conveying system, limestone storage, raw meal transport, kiln feed system, pyro-process system, coal grinding, clinker handling, finish grinding system, cement storage and barge loading system, an addition to the main electrical substation and a new plant wide control PLC/HMI automation system. The paper describes the many challenges to execute this unique project in tight and restricted areas while at the same time maintain ongoing plant operation. Only a three month general plant shut down was scheduled for demolition and replacement of the existing gyro-process equipment and tie-ins of the various areas into the existing systems. Due to the time constraints this paper concentrates mainly on the pyro-process area