MechChem Africa May 2017

⎪ Plant maintenance, lubrication and filtration ⎪

Turnkey filtration system for cement plant

ACTOM’s environmental solutions specialist business unit, John Thompson Air Pollution Control (APC), recently developed and installed a reverse-pulse electrostatic precipitator conversion as an upgrade to the existing dust collection system at PPC’s Dwaalboom cement plant near Thabazimbi in Limpopo.

ment sectors is environmental licencing and compliance assurance, underwhich fall dust suppression solutions, water solutions, en- vironmental management services, carbon solutions, agro-forestry products and fire solutions. I-CAT Environmental Solutions director, Lourens Jansen van Rensburg, explains. I-CATEnvironmental Solutions offers an ‘environmental masterplan’ in terms of the resulting compliance, auditing, andmonitor- ing requirements. These environmental-compliance solu- tions have a specific focus on the mining and industrial sectors, as prescribed by relevant national legislationand compliance standards, “The current economic climate in South Africa has resulted in companies cut- L eading cement producer, PPC, recent- ly commissioned ACTOM’s environ- mental solutions specialist business unit, JohnThompsonAPC, toupgrade the dust collection system serving one of the main production lines at PPC’s Dwaalboom plant near Thabazimbi in Limpopo Province. The turnkey contract, worth in excess of R30-million, was awarded to JohnThompson APC in May 2016 and completed in March 2017. The contract involved retrofitting the original electrostatic precipitator (ESP) system for the plant’s Kiln No.1 with a reverse-pulse filtration system deploying tubular bags to maintain dust emissions below 20 mg/m 3 . “The new system represents a substan- tial upgrade on its predecessor. The lower emission level it maintains is to meet stricter environmental regulations which have come into effect,” commented Raymond Hopkins, John Thompson APC’s project manager on the contract. The pulsejet conversion, erected on the roof of the former ESP system, contains over 3 600 tubular filter bags with a total air- moving capacity in excess of 500 000 m 3 /h. Thebaghouse is fittedwithglass-fibre tubular

bags capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 260 °C. The contract also incorporated the design and manufacture of a centrifugal induced draft (ID) fan for the baghouse comprising a 2 700 mm diameter aerofoil impeller driven byamotorofover1.0MW,aswellasmaterials handling equipment consisting of drag chains and rotary valves discharging the collected dust into an existing product conveyor. ACTOM’s industrial and mining fan spe- cialists TLT ACTOM, which John Thompson APCsub-contracted toproduce thebaghouse fan assembly, was also commissioned as part of its scope of work under the contract to de- signandmanufactureacustomisedkilnIDfan. “This centrifugal ID fan, although it forms part of the filtration system contract, is unre- lated to thedust collection system,” explained James Sole, TLT ACTOM’s sales engineer, industrial and process fans. “Its function is heat recovery, as it takes the hot off-gas from the kiln for re-use in the production process. It is designed to with- standhighdust loads and temperatures and is madeofexceptionallywear-resistantmaterial due to the highly abrasivematerial towhich it will be exposed.”

With a diameter of 3 600 mm, it is one of the largest fans used in an industrial ap- plication and is driven by a motor in excess of 2.0 MW. ACTOM (Pty) Ltd is the largest manufac- turer, solutionprovider, repairer anddistribu- torofelectro-mechanicalequipmentinAfrica, offering awinning and balanced combination of manufacturing, service, repairs, mainte- nance, projects and distribution through its 40 outlets throughout Southern Africa. The company is also a major local supplier of electrical equipment, services and balance of plant to the renewable energy projects. It also holds numerous technology, distribution and value added reseller agreements with various partners, both locally and interna- tionally. q A bird’s eye view of the reverse-pulse ESP conversion developed and installed by John Thompson Air Pollution Control at PPC’s Dwaalboom cement factory near Thabazimbi.

Local green masterplan for the environment O ne of the most rigorous and specialised processes for the mining, industrial, manufactur- ing, and commercial develop- tingdownonbudget allocation forminimum environmental compliance, while recognis- ing their obligations to account for their activities impacting on the environmental and to accept responsibility for them,” Van Rensburg says.

governance models in a holistic manner, while determining the link between their busi- ness strategies and

commitment to a sustainable global environment,” con- cludes Jansen van Rensburg. I-CAT is a lead- ing environmental

I-CAT offers an Environmental Masterplan solution whereby all external environmental licencing, auditing, andmoni- toring requirements are addressed within its Environmental Solutions department. Benefits include cost- and resource-savings, as well as ensuring that all environmental aspects are considered and assessed in an integrated, holistic manner. “Furthermore, we can assist our clients with their sustainability and integrated reporting requirements in line with the relevant standard, covering reporting on economic, environmental, social and gov- ernance performance. “We present our clients’ values and

solutions company with a primary focus on supplying products and services that as- sist industrial clients in various aspects of environmental compliance. The company is well positioned to assist all its clients’ needs in environmental management regarding; dust suppression solutions, water solutions, environmental management services, car- bon solutions, agro-forestry products and fire solutions. q

May 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 11