A joint venture of Italy’s Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti (CMC) di Ravenna, Thai company Ital Thai and Vietnam’s Song Da Corporation has been working on a major dam project at the Nam Theun River, Bolikhamsay Province, Laos. The facility, which is 105 m high and 700 m long at the top, is designed provide electricity for three groups: two units of 250 MW to be distributed in Thailand, and one group of 150 MW to be distributed in Laos for local use.
For this project, the joint venture has selected a 1,500 mtph crushing plant by ICM and Terex MPS to produce aggregates for the 4 mil cu m RCC (roller-compacted concrete) and 500,000 cu m CVC (conventional concrete) dam.
The complete plant solution is made up of two Simplicity 5220 vibrating grizzly feeders, two Cedarapids JS4552 jaw crushers, four cone crushers (of which two are Cedarapids MVP550X and the other two are Cedarapids MVP450X), three ICM T-MAV 21 vertical shaft impactor, two Cedarapids TSV6202 horizontal screens, and six TSV8203 Cedarapids horizontal screens. The set-up also includes 45 conveyors (total length of 1,400 m), and the installation of 5,000 kW of power.
The plant is being fed by blasted sandstone rock with a high abrasion index to produce 0/5, 5/12, 12/25 and 25/50 mm, as dictated by the mix design of the RCC, with any excess being recycled. A reclaiming plant transports aggregates from stock to a cooling plant via two downhill conveyors (one for coarse aggregates with a capacity of 1,800 mtph and one for sand with a capacity of 700 mtph). The supply is completed by a set of conveyors with a capacity of 1,000 cmh to pour RCC into the dam.
Tailored solution
Due to the abrasiveness of the sandstone, distributor ICM srl (based in Italy), designed the plant to use jaw crushers and cone crushers in the first instance to get the rock to the required size for the RCC - at this stage not worrying about the shape of the aggregate. Once sized, the shape is improved using the vertical shaft impactors.
Icilio Guicciardi of ICM explained, “This is a philosophy that always gives good results in terms of the quality of the aggregates and the reduction of wear costs. Having a solution that satisfies our customer’s strict requirements was of utmost importance to us and we knew that this plant set up would produce the output required.”
Commissioned in 2018, the plant was supplied by ICM, who also completed all the engineering required (except civil works), equipment, electrical system (power and controls), steel work (hot galvanised), delivery, assistance to assembly and erection up to commissioning (with customer crew). The plant is now being operated by Sinohydro, with works expected to be completed in 2023.
Mr Guicciardi continued, “This type of project is significant for ICM because it gives us prominence in the market and at the same enables us to supply an interesting line up of equipment in one shot. This is the third plant, in less than 10 years, that ICM has supplied for the production of aggregates for the construction of a major project (dam, canal, etc.) - having supplied Panama with a plant to produce 3,300 mtph of basalt and Ethiopia with a plant to produce 2,000 mtph of granite.
“Through these projects, ICM has shown the added value that we provide to ensure the performance of our Terex MPS equipment, in particular our cones and screens, and in the speed of delivery and assembly of the plant - Panama was delivered in four months and started production in 10 months, while Ethiopia and Laos were delivered in three months and started production in six months.”
Paul Lilley, sales director, Terex MPS for the ERA said, “The plant installation at Laos dam demonstrates how our equipment can be seamlessly combined to provide a tailored solution that consistently delivers aggregates that meet customer requirements - even in complex, extensive projects such as this. We have no doubt this plant designed by ICM will continue achieving ultimate efficiency and production output through to project completion.”
Photos and video: ICM
