Cutting-edge environmental investment in the cement industry for sustainability
Duna-Dráva Cement Kft. in Vác entered into an almost HUF 7 billion environmental investment in order to reduce dust emission to the minimal. We have asked Zsolt Szilágyi, Production Manager at DDC Vác, who is also in charge of the project, about the steps of the investment and the results to be expected.
Why is it important to modernize and improve the Cement Plant in Vác?
Duna-Dráva Cement Kft.
Kiln No. V, the kiln currently in operation in Vác, was put into service 25 years ago with the highest quality of technology at the time. Since then, we have been continuously updating and improving the system, therefore the sustainable operation and low emission is ensured. Furthermore, we continuously search for the best possible environmental friendly technology. We think long-term, therefore the current modernization ensures that we are able to comply with the most restrictive future environmental regulations and emission guidelines.
What does it mean technically?
According to the prepared comprehensive technological plans the demolition of the heat exchanging tower No.4 is necessary. The on-site installation works needed for the replacement of the two lower cyclone stages will start this year. The most spectacular element of the investment is the new, longer calciner, which is to be built in front of the current heat exchanging tower. The calciner is a vertical tube, which is responsible for securing the time that is needed for the fuel in the combustion chamber to burn out. By this, the cyclone blockages can be avoided, which could cause dust emission in case of electro-filtering system failures. A bag filter system will be installed to replace the current electro-filtration, so based on the experience acquired in Beremend this project will further minimize the dust emission. The bypass system that will be built, will enable the separation of chemical compounds responsible for the sediments in the heat exchanger system. The replacement of the main kiln drive will contribute to increase our current clinker production level.
What alternatives can be found in the cement industry?
Sustainability is part of our company’s philosophy, which covers all stages of production, as well as the modernization of the Cement Plant in Vác. In the cement industry, we replace significant portions of the environmentally damaging fossil fuels (carbon, oil, and gas), and use safely applied alternative fuels. Furthermore, we efficiently use by-products of other industries that would otherwise be waste. When producing semi-finished products, we replace iron ore with steel slag, which is the by-product of the steel industry. In case of cement additives, we use soot as a hydraulic ancillary substance. The soot is the ash generated from the waste gas of the cool fuelled power plants, which can be recycled during the cement production process. Blast furnace slag is also a by-product of the steel industry that is added to standardized cement types.
Will the current modernization weaken the quality of Cement Vác?
The quality of our products is guaranteed by the experiences we have obtained over the past 50 years in Vác and 100 years in Beremend. The cement products produced in the plant in Vác go through in-process and final product inspection. All the used primary materials are analysed by components, the semi-finished and finished products go through quality control during the different manufacturing phases. Modernization and installation of the latest technology will further enhance the current premium quality. We are proud that our cement products have received the Hungarian Product and the National Products trademarks in the spring of 2015. These trademarks mean a kind of guarantee that our products are made only by Hungarian workforce and with the use of Hungarian materials. Therefore, it is evident for us, that DDC will continue supplying the market with the usual high quality products.
The Duna-Dráva Cement Kft. considered environmental protection and sustainable growth to the highest degree. The current investment is perfectly in accordance with both considerations. Read more detailed information about the project >>>
