Public exhibitions ahead of Flintshire cement works £20m upgrade planning submission

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Public exhibitions are to be held this month ahead of a planning application by Hanson Cement for a £20 million upgrade project at its Padeswood cement works in Flintshire.

The proposed project, which the company says will guarantee the future of the plant and its 96 employees, will see the installation of a new vertical roller mill for cement grinding.

Currently, the cement works has four operational mills but they are old and inefficient and do not have the capacity to grind the volume of clinker [icon name=”external-link” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] made by the kiln, this results in some of the clinker being transported elsewhere for grinding.

[/vc_column_text][vc_message color=”info” message_box_style=”outline” style=”square”]Hanson is holding public exhibitions to explain the plans to local residents on: 

• Tuesday May 23 at Buckley Library – 3.30pm to 7pm.
• Wednesday May 24 at Penyffordd British Legion Club – 3.30pm to 7pm.

[/vc_message][vc_column_text]Hanson says the new mill will improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and increase output, the firm is also planning to invest in new rail loading facilities to allow cement to be delivered by train, reducing lorry movements.

A planning application will be submitted to Flintshire County Council in the summer. If approved, construction work will begin later this year with the new mill fully operational by early 2019.

Plant manager David Quick said:

The plan is to mothball three of the old mills and install a new vertical roller mill capable of grinding up to 650,000 tonnes of clinker a year. The new mill will be fully enclosed in a building, minimising noise and reducing the potential for escape of cement dust.

The project also includes construction of new cement silos alongside the existing railway line to load trains for delivery.

At present the rail link is used to bring in coal to fire the kilns. In future, three trains a week will be despatched to Hanson’s depots in London, Bristol and Scotland – around 15 per cent of total cement production.

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