Modern Quarrying Q4 2019

INDUSTRY NEWS

Dangote Cement to digitise cement plants GE and Africa’s leading cement producer, Dangote Cement Plc, have signed an agree-

ment to deploy GE’s Asset Performance Management (APM) digital solution to reduce unplanned downtime and enhance performance at its two cement plants in Obajana and Ibese, Nigeria. The project includes extending the current service agreement for an additional 50 000 operating hours for the seven GE LM6000PC aeroderivative gas turbines installed at the sites. GE’s total plant solutions will improve efficiency, reliability essential to continuous operations and the plants’ business strategy. “Power supply is both a key input and a major cost in our manufacturing pro- cess,” says Ravi Sood, operations director, Dangote Cement Plc. “Operational per- formance is crucial to our cement plant’s overall productivity, directly affecting end products. Being at the front of cement production in Africa, we believe extend- ing our services agreement with GE and

GE’s APM digital solution will reduce unplanned downtime.

the introduction of digital solutions will allow us to improve efficiencies, anticipate further reductions in unplanned downtime and become more self-sufficient in power production in a country which, with approximately 190 million inhabitants, is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world.” APM leverages cutting-edge technology to monitor the performance of power gen- eration assets to reduce downtime, avoid turbines damage and remotely predict and resolve issues. APM sensors will be installed not only on the seven aeroderivative tur- bines, but also on their associated generators and gear boxes to predict and accurately diagnose issues with greater accuracy before they occur. “Energy infrastructure is getting smarter, and digital solutions allow not only the shift from traditional calendar-based repairs to predictive maintenance, but they also increase power asset availability and reliability,” says Elisee Sezan, CEO for GE’s Gas Power businesses in sub–Saharan Africa. l

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 4 - 2019