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

Lokesh Lays Stone For Rs 31 Billion Cement Unit In Kadapa

Line-2 expansion to make Kadapa a major cement hub

Published

23 hours ago

July 20, 2026

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Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Line-2 expansion of Dalmia Bharat Cement at Chinnakomerla village in Mylavaram Mandal in Kadapa district. The project carries an investment of Rs 31 billion (bn) and is slated for completion by the third quarter of the financial year 2028. The expansion is intended to boost industrial growth and employment generation across the Rayalaseema region.

Once commissioned, the Kadapa facility will become Dalmia Bharat’s largest integrated cement manufacturing ecosystem in southern India, creating over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs and opening new business avenues for regional micro, small and medium enterprises and transport operators. Lokesh said the expansion signalled growing corporate confidence in the state and reflected the practical ease of doing business that secured repeat investment.

He placed the project within the government’s wider economic targets and recalled the Yuvagalam padayatra commitment to generate two million (mn) jobs within five years, noting that the state would cultivate talent while industry created opportunities. Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s competitive pursuit of major manufacturing accounts, mentioning past successes and a personal initiative to engage global investors when persuading them to anchor expansion in the state.

The plant will leverage Kadapa’s abundant limestone reserves to scale production and sustainability. Clinker capacity is planned to rise from two point five million tonnes per annum (mn tpa) to six point one mn tpa, while overall cement output will increase from three point six mn tpa to nine point six mn tpa. The unit is designed to operate on over eighty per cent renewable energy and deploy waste heat recovery, zero liquid discharge, water recycling and advanced AI systems to optimise efficiency. Industries Minister TG Bharat, BC Welfare Minister S. Savitha and Jammalamadugu MLA C. Adinarayana Reddy attended the ceremony.

Concrete

Cement Prices to Stay Flat in Q2 FY27 as Costs Squeeze Margins

HDFC Securities warns monsoon slowdown and higher fuel costs

Published

4 days ago

July 17, 2026

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HDFC Securities has said the cement industry is unlikely to register a sequential increase in prices in Q2 FY27 as monsoon-related demand moderation coincides with rising fuel and packaging costs that will squeeze margins. The brokerage observed that price gains remained modest, with increases of two to three per cent quarter-on-quarter across regions, and noted subdued offtake in May with improvement in June as a delayed monsoon supported construction activity. The brokerage added that modest pricing gains so far have been insufficient to offset the input cost escalation.

The report stated that input cost pressures intensified in Q1 FY27 owing to the West Asia conflict, which pushed up coal and pet coke prices and is expected to keep fuel costs elevated, with a likely peak in Q2 FY27. It assessed that total variable costs, including packing, could rise by around Rs 150 per t quarter-on-quarter and that lower offtake and seasonal operating deleverage could further raise operating expenditure by about Rs 50 per t quarter-on-quarter.

Overall, cement prices were estimated to remain flat in Q2 FY27 as monsoon-led demand weakness offsets limited upside in realisation, and rising fuel costs alongside seasonal deleverage were expected to compress industry margins by over Rs 100 per t quarter-on-quarter to below Rs 880 per t. The brokerage indicated that the combined impact of energy inflation and higher packing expenditure would be the principal drivers of margin contraction in the near term. HDFC Securities projected a recovery in margins in H2 FY27 should the West Asia turmoil subside and energy and packing costs cool off.

The brokerage expressed optimism on long-term demand fundamentals and said improving realisation together with an anticipated cost cool-off should support a margin rebound from H2 FY27 onward, underpinning favourable industry prospects over the medium term. Its outlook rests on monsoon normalisation and a decline in imported fuel prices in the second half of the fiscal year.

Concrete

Dalmia Bharat Begins Rs 31 Bn Green Cement Unit in Kadapa

New Andhra Pradesh plant to add 9.6 MTPA cement capacity by FY28

Published

5 days ago

July 16, 2026

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Dalmia Bharat Limited recently laid the foundation stone for its second manufacturing unit at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. The company will invest Rs 31 billion in developing the next-generation integrated cement manufacturing facility.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Real-Time Governance and Human Resources Development, along with Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dalmia Bharat, senior government officials and company representatives.

Scheduled to be commissioned by the third quarter of FY28, the Kadapa unit will become Dalmia Bharat’s largest integrated manufacturing facility in southern India. It will have a clinker production capacity of 6.1 million tonnes per annum and a cement manufacturing capacity of 9.6 million tonnes per annum.

The facility is designed to produce what the company describes as one of the world’s greenest cements. It is also expected to generate approximately 1,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities while supporting local MSMEs, transporters, contractors and service providers.

Lokesh said the investment reflected Dalmia Bharat’s confidence in Andhra Pradesh and aligned with the state’s objective of promoting sustainable industrialisation, job creation and technology-led economic growth.

Puneet Dalmia said the project represented the company’s long-term vision of developing low-carbon cement manufacturing assets. He added that the facility would establish new benchmarks in operational efficiency and sustainability while supporting India’s infrastructure and environmental goals.

Dalmia Bharat will also expand its regional community development programmes in education, healthcare, skill development and welfare through its DIKSHa and Gram Parivartan initiatives.

The company currently has an installed cement manufacturing capacity of 54.7 million tonnes across 19 manufacturing units in 12 states. It is also the first cement company globally to commit to the RE100, EP100 and EV100 initiatives.