This new vertical roller mill will cover the increasing demand for lignite dust. It was a challenging major project, completed in just 13 months of construction work. The milling plant increases production by 500,000 t. Loesche had the contract for the delivery and assembly of the coal mill, from the upper edge of the foundations.

Apart from the technology and the complete process equipment it also included the preparation of the complete mill building as the general contractor. Loesche has numerous references as well considerable experience and know-how in the dry-grinding process of solid fuels and the milling technology with all its associated components.

The expertise of RWE Power engineers and partner companies were called for with the planning and construction of the new milling plant. The plant had to be structurally integrated into the existing operation. Additionally, six tube dryers and various production techniques for the dust production were modernised and the existing loading facilities were expanded to include an additional silo for the dust transportation by truck. An identical vertical roller mill has already been in operation at the location since the end of 2008 in Fortuna-Nord.

The work proceeded according to plan so that the Loesche coal mill LM 28.3 D was put into operation after only 13 months of construction. “This second vertical roller mill gives us the opportunity to do our refining in a positively developing market and this investment will help to strengthen the economy and protect jobs”, stressed Dr Klaus Müller, Head of Refining Division at RWE Power.