Concrete

21-km cross-country belt conveyor for Heidelberg Cement, Damoh

Published

11 years ago

May 31, 2015

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The EPC contract for India?s longest Overland Belt Conveyor (OLBC) system to Heidelberg Cement is another significant milestone in Macmet?s list of achievements.

In 2010 Macmet, against stiff competition from L&T, FL Schmidt, Sinoma International Engineering Co bagged the turnkey contract from Heidelberg Cement for design, engineering, manufacture, supply of equipment, Civil & Structural Construction and Erection of Plant/Machinery for a 21 km long Overland Belt Conveyor system for transporting Limestone from Patharia Quarry to Narsingarh Clinkerization Unit, for the Diamond Cements Plant at Damoh.

The OLBC commissioned for Heidelberg Cement consists of six flights of conveyors, totaling to 20,790 meters. Four flights connect the mine to the Bunker. From the bunker, one flight goes to the Plant and another flight goes to the stockyard. The six flights measure 640 meters, 9800 meters, 8150 meters, 1600 meters, 475 meters and 125 meters (total 20,790 meters). The 1000 mm wide belt conveyor has been designed to transport limestone at an average speed of 4.0 meters/second from the quarry to the plant. The capacity of this conveyor system is 1000 TPH. On its way to the Plant, the conveyor crosses several villages and roads as well as the Sonar River (spanning a width of 120 meters at the cross over).

The conveyor accessories supplied include apron feeders, bag filter with fan, compressors, motorized diverter, Pin/Rod Gate, Magnetic Separator, Metal Detector and Belt Weigher. The electrics include 33KV Substations, Transformers, 690V Voltage Variable Frequency Panels with 690V/350kW Motors controlled by a PLC Automation System.

Macmet undertook the civil work, constructing 890 nos. RCC columns, the maximum height of which was 23 meters at the Sonar River. 4 sub-stations (18,280 cubic meter) as well as a Hopper of 2020 cubic meters were built. The Civil RCC work (including sub-station buildings, bunker, trestle columns and foundations etc.) was completed in one year from November, 2010 to October 2011.

Macmet also completed Structural Fabrication and Erection work of 903 Girders (the maximum span being 47 meters), 61 nos. Trestles (maximum height being 37 meters). The 6025 Ton Fabrication and erection of structural steel work (including transfer houses, gallery, girders, trestles, etc.) was completed in one year from June 2011 to May 2012. About 3300 Tons of mechanical equipment and electrical equipment was also erected.

The 21 km conveyor system passes through several densely populated villages. There was scarcity of water (a significant hurdle for civil construction) and only a single ?kutcha? road running along the route of the conveyor system, which made movement of men and material very difficult. Macmet had to tread the tightrope of handling disgruntled local populace and completing the work within schedule. Land disputes were settled by our interaction with the local villagers and the help of Heidelberg Cement and local Administration Officials.

We gained the confidence of the local people through regular interactions and by conducting social work such as education, provision of drinking water, renovation of places of worship, etc.. Macmet also educated local labour to work in line with safety protocols. We are proud to say that the work was completed without any major mishap and Macmet was awarded the Certificate for conducting work safely. Erection was completed in December 2012 and operation of the 21 km OBLC for Heidelberg Cement commenced in January 2013. Macmet has also been awarded the maintenance contract for the system. The 21 km Overland Belt Conveyor System supplied by Macmet to Heidelberg Cement at Damoh continues to perform satisfactorily since commencement of its operation in 2013. Macmet also has been awarded job for maintenance of the conveyor.

Macmet, an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, OHSAS 18001:2007 certified company, supplies Bulk Material Handling systems and Intake Screening equipment to Cement, Power, Steel and Mining companies in India and abroad.

Macmet is a leading supplier of Troughed Overland Belt Conveyors and Pipe Conveyors in India. Pipe Conveyors provide an environmental friendly solution for conveying bulk material with zero spillage. Macmet has the maximum number of references for Pipe Conveyors in India. Macmet has supplied Asia?s longest Pipe Conveyor (7 km) to Jindal Power Plant at Raigarh. We have also supplied one of the world?s highest capacity, fastest Pipe Conveyors to Gayatri Projects Ltd. for carrying coal between port and Plant End of TPCIL?s 4 x 660 MW Thermal Power Plant of TPCIL at Krishnapatnam, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.

Macmet also manufactures screening equipment to remove debris, weeds, branches, grass, fish, etc. from water sourced from rivers, lakes and oceans by Power Plants. Macmet has commissioned India?s largest intake system for Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd. and the country?s second largest intake system for Nuclear Power Corporation of India at Tarapur. Intake screening equipment manufactured by Macmet is in operation in over 15 countries worldwide.

Macmet has modern engineering & manufacturing facilities and a firm commitment to quality assurance and customer satisfaction. The company is headquartered in Kolkata with engineering offices at Kolkata, New Delhi and Bangalore. The manufacturing works are located at Kolkata.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement FY26 PAT Crosses Rs 80 bn

Company reports record sales, profit and 200 MTPA capacity milestone

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

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UltraTech Cement reported record financial performance for Q4 and FY26, supported by strong volumes, higher profitability and improved cost efficiency. Consolidated net sales for Q4 FY26 rose 12 per cent year-on-year to Rs 254.67 billion, while PBIDT increased 20 per cent to Rs 56.88 billion. PAT, excluding exceptional items, grew 21 per cent to Rs 30.11 billion.

For FY26, consolidated net sales stood at Rs 873.84 billion, up 17 per cent from Rs 749.36 billion in FY25. PBIDT rose 32 per cent to Rs 175.98 billion, while PAT increased 36 per cent to Rs 83.05 billion, crossing the Rs 80 billion mark for the first time.

India grey cement volumes reached 42.41 million tonnes in Q4 FY26, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, with capacity utilisation at 89 per cent. Full-year India grey cement volumes stood at 145 million tonnes. Energy costs declined 3 per cent, aided by a higher green power mix of 43 per cent in Q4.

The company’s domestic grey cement capacity has crossed 200 MTPA, reaching 200.1 MTPA, while global capacity stands at 205.5 MTPA. UltraTech also recommended a special dividend of Rs 2.40 billion per share value basis equivalent to Rs 240.

Concrete

Towards Mega Batching

Optimised batching can drive overall efficiencies in large projects.

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2026

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India’s pace of infrastructure development is pushing the construction sector to work at a significantly higher scale than previously. Tight deadlines necessitate eliminating concreting delays, especially in large and mega projects, which, in turn, imply installing the right batching plant and ensuring batching is efficient. CW explores these steps as well as the gaps in India’s batching plant market.

Choose well

Large-scale infrastructure and building projects typically involve concrete consumption exceeding 30,000-50,000 cum per annum or demand continuous, high-volume pours within compressed timelines, according to Rahul R Wadhai, DGM – Quality, Tata Projects.

Considering the daily need for concrete, “large-scale concreting involves pouring more than 1,000–2,000 cum per day while mega projects involve more than 3,000 cum per day,” says Satish R Vachhani, Advanced Concrete & Construction Consultant…

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Concrete

Andhra Offers Discom Licences To Private Firms Outside Power Sector

Policy allows firms over 300 MW to seek distribution licences

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2026

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The Andhra Pradesh government will allow private firms that require more than 300 megawatt (MW) of power to apply for distribution licences, making the state the first to extend such licences beyond the power sector. The policy targets information technology, pharmaceuticals, steel and data centres and aims to reduce reliance on state utilities as demand rises for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Approved applicants will be able to procure electricity directly from generators through power purchase agreements, a change officials said will create more competitive tariffs and reduce supply risk. Licence holders will use the Andhra Pradesh Transmission Company (APTRANSCO) network on payment of charges and will not need a separate distribution network initially.

Licences will be granted under the Electricity Act, 2003 framework, with the Central and State electricity regulators retaining authority over terms and approvals. The recent Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sought to lower entry barriers, enable network sharing and encourage competition, while the state commission will set floor and ceiling tariffs where multiple discoms operate.

Industry players and original equipment manufacturers welcomed the policy, saying competitive supply is vital for large data centre investments. Major projects and partnerships such as those involving Adani and Google, Brookfield and Reliance, and Meta and Sify Technologies are expected to benefit as capacity expands in the state.

Analysts noted India’s data centre capacity is forecast to reach 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and cited International Energy Agency estimates that global data centre electricity consumption could approach 945 terawatt hours by the same year. A one GW data centre needs an equivalent power allocation and one point five times the water, which authorities equated to 150 billion litres (150 bn litres).

Advisers warned that distribution licences will require close regulation and monitoring to prevent misuse and to ensure tariffs and supply obligations are met. Officials said the policy aims to balance investor requirements with regulatory oversight and could serve as a model for other states.