Tenova TAKRAF Africa has been awarded two contracts by South Africa’s leading cement producer, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), to supply reverse pulse bagfilters to replace existing electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) at PPC’s slurry facility near Mahikeng, North West Province, and its De Hoek cement plant in the Western Cape. Tenova TAKRAF Africa is part of the global Tenova Mining & Minerals Group.
Replacement of the ESPs with reverse pulse bagfilter technology is part of a PPC company-wide initiative to upgrade its dust control systems. This initiative is in line with the company’s ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and clean work environment, meeting increasingly more stringent requirements of South Africa’s National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act.
Tenova TAKRAF‘s scope of work on both contracts covers design, supply, delivery, installation, commissioning and performance testing of the bagfilters, as well as stripping of existing ESPs. The contract for PPC Slurry was awarded in July 2013, and for PPC De Hoek in September 2013. Both are due for completion at the end of May 2014.
The reverse pulse bagfilter for PPC Slurry is being installed on two finishing mills, handling an inlet dust load of 400 g/Am3, at a flow rate of 30,000 Am3/h. The guaranteed emission rate is less than 20 mg/Nm3. The two reverse pulse bagfilters at PPC De Hoek are being installed on the kiln and raw mill, handling an inlet dust load of 75 g/Am3, at a flow rate of 300,000 Am3/h. The guaranteed emission rate is also less than 20 mg/Nm3. Tenova TAKRAF Africa had previously supplied a bagfilter for installation on the plant’s mill some three years ago.
Tenova TAKRAF Africa has an extensive business relationship with PPC, with a reference list covering the supply of cement plants through to belt conveyor and dust control systems. Its reverse pulse bagfilter technology has found wide acceptance, with some 2,000 installations in place in southern Africa in a vast variety of applications and in many different industries.
The bagfilters handle flow rates from 0.5 to 100 m3/s and enable economical collection of dust at high filter rates with collection efficiencies >99.99 %. These high efficiencies are maintained under variable operating conditions by reverse pulse action, with the bagfilter being able to operate 24 h/day under arduous conditions. Filterbag inspection is easy and replacement of the bags is done from the clean-air side, minimising any risk to the maintenance staff.
