Australian construction materials supplier Hallett Construction Materials Pty Ltd has award the contract for a complete grinding circuit at its Port Augusta cement plant in South Australia to Christian Pfeiffer.

The grinding system includes a 5.0m diameter x 16.25m ball mill and a QDK T 250-Z high-efficiency sepator as core equipment, along with auxiliary equipment and conveying systems. The grinding unit will produce 84tph slag cement that will be used for refilling of old mining stocks.

While Hallett was considering installing a vertical mill to grind the very abrasive slag, process experts at Christian Pfeiffer recommend a ball mill. Lower initial investments, raw material flexibility and a much reduced overall energy consumption of the ball mill swayed the decision in the ball mill's favour, particularly after a visit by Hallett to one of Christian Pfeiffer's reference plants in Germany. The plant's technical proposal was prepared in three week after testing the raw material in Christian Pfeiffer's competence centre, Germany.

“For us, the sustainability of the plant is the highest priority. That’s why we manufacture cement containing 100 per cent slag which needs to be produced at the lowest energy and operation costs. At the same time, we have highest quality demands to the cement. The Christian Pfeiffer process experts convinced us that the ball mill, in combination with a high efficiency separator, is the best system to serve our requirements," said Hallett's CEO Kane Salisbury.

The grinding plant is scheduled for commissioning in January 2024.