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Sarens plays key role in Lafarge’s cement plant refurbishment

Lafarge needed the help of a heavy lifting crane service for the replacement of its cement plant kiln dryer in Bath, Ont., in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint – and they needed it done in a week.

Sarens accepted the challenge of the one-week deadline to remove the old kiln and transport, lift and install the new one, using a Liebherr LR1600 crawler crane – a model renowned for its great power and lifting capacity.

Since its foundation in 1973, Lafarge’s Bath cement plant has played a key role in Canada’s construction sector. The kiln dryer replacement project is part of the company’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint through a new sustainable policy saving more than 140,000 tons of CO2 annually, by converting GU cement to OneCem. With more than 100 workers, Lafarge’s Bath cement plant currently produces more than 1.1 million tons of cement per year, helping the construction industry to continue to develop.

The furnace renovation project at this factory is part of a maintenance program aimed at maintaining its proper operation. The kiln is the part in charge of drying the cement during the manufacturing process, so it plays a key role in cement production going forward. The Lafarge plant is responsible for supplying cement to several major infrastructure projects that contribute to the growth and development of several local cities and create jobs both locally and abroad.

In order to meet the deadlines, Sarens had a week before the start of the work to ensure that the conditions were suitable to assemble the crane that would later carry out the lifting of the furnace, saving valuable time to meet the one-week window.

In this case, Sarens utilized some of its most experienced operators, thus ensuring the safe and efficient execution of the project. A Liebherr LR1600 crawler crane was configured with 48 metres of main boom and 36 metres of derrick mast, weighing a total of 511,328 lbs. Counterweight requirements for the lift were as follows:

• 65 tons of counterweight in the carbody;
• 150 tons in the superstructure; and
• an additional 250 tons in the superlift tray.

This all added up to a total weight of 1,536,188 pounds.

“The features of the LR1600 added to the smooth execution of lifting the 664-ton furnace that the LR was commissioned to lift. With skilled and professional personnel paired with the powerful LR1600 crawler crane,  Sarens was able to exceed expectations for this project,” says Luke Goodfellow, Sarens Area Manager.

Sarens is located in 65 countries, and is involved in a variety of projects employing 4,543 personnel.