Metso supply kilns to Chinese limestone calcining plant

Metso Minerals have installed three lime calcining rotary kilns at Dongshan Mine in Shangxi Province, China, for Taiyuan Iron and Steel (Group) Co. Ltd (TISCO). The new rotary kilns have made the site one of the largest capacity limestone calcining plants in the country, with a collective production output of 3,300 tonnes of high-reactivity lime per day.

Before the rotating inclined cylinders were installed, lime production at the mine was limited because the original three shaft kilns produced a combined output of 1,000 tonnes a day. Following a international tender, Metso were commissioned to resolve Dongshan’s capacity problems.

According to Qi Song, vice president of projects and systems sales at Metso Minerals China, it was their proven experience in product and design, and understanding of minerals processing that won TISCO’s decision to use Metso equipment.

The rotary kilns have tripled the production of lime at Dongshan, helping TISCO to manufacture 3 million tonnes of stainless steel each year, at a time when China’s construction industry is booming.

Each calcining kiln is fired by a combination of coal and natural gas, operated by an 18-module polygonal pre-heater that uses KVS/Niems coolers. A key benefit of using Metso’s kilns is the reduced impact on the environment, as Mr Song commented: ‘Because of the flexibility of operational control and power consumption, there are options for less fuel and power consumption, meaning fewer maintenance problems and fewer emissions into the atmosphere.’