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Outotec (USA) Inc

Bringing Fresh Perspectives to Zinc Roasting at Cajamarquilla

Jul 6, 2015
These new developments demonstrate Outotec’s ambitious efforts to support plant productivity by bolstering efficiency and paving new ground in safety and ease of maintenance.

 
The client
 
Votorantim Metais, founded in 1981 and based in São Paulo, is a mining subsidiary of Votorantim Group, the Brazilian conglomerate. The company ranks among the six largest zinc producers in the world, and is also a leader in Latin American nickel production and a mainstay of the Brazilian primary aluminum market.
 
In 2007, the company laid plans to double its annual zinc production to over 300,000 tonnes, while preserving its existing production line (in Cajamarquilla, Peru) adjacent to the new site. Other key targets included improving the environmental conditions of its operations and making advances in plant safety and maintenance.
 
In October of the same year, Outotec was awarded a contract to supply this new zinc roasting facility, including gas cleaning and sulfuric acid plants, on a turnkey basis.

 
The scope
 
Outotec’s activities would include the complete engineering and civil works for the new plant, the supply and installation of a host of equipment, as well as supervision services and plant commissioning. The contract value exceeded EUR 80 million, with an agreed delivery time of two years. In 1977, Outotec built the first zinc roaster in Cajamarquilla, which is still working at increased capacity. In this second delivery Outotec’s scope was larger and covered the entire roaster train, delivering additional benefits for the customer, such as improved energy recovery as well as reduced dust and sulfur dioxide gas emissions. The construction work at the Cajamarquilla site started in June 2008 and the project employed more than 600 people in various fields of construction.

 
Distinct improvements
 
A number of key improvements to various stages of the zinc roasting process were made. The feed port doors were redesigned to reduce burning of the slinger belts, which feed fresh concentrate into the roaster (the contents of which can reach 900–975°C), and improve safety for operating personnel. The wind box, which channels combustion air into the roaster in order to achieve better mixing in the feeding zone and less dust formation at the outlet, was also redesigned, granting the operator greater control of air distribution.
 
Innovative redesigns were brought to other elements also. The roaster’s secondary air nozzles now provide a better mixture with the hot process gas, reducing the risk of dangerous build-ups at the roaster wall. New concepts were also brought to the roaster’s water-based temperature control system, for more precise adjustment of water usage. Newly designed water-cooled rotary valves were added to the transport system for calcine discharge, amongst other improvements to this fundamental plant feature (found at multiple points including the roasting furnace, waste heat boiler, cyclones, and hot electrostatic precipitators).
These are just the beginning of a long list of innovations Outotec has brought to zinc roasting technology at Cajamarquilla. Together, these new developments demonstrate Outotec’s ambitious efforts to pioneer improvements in the field, supporting plant productivity by bolstering efficiency and paving new ground in safety and ease of maintenance.

 
Outotec receives award for 500,000 incident-free hours
 
Safety of personnel is a chief priority for Outotec. With over 600 people involved in the construction of the Cajamarquilla plant, and a fully working plant operating at normal capacity alongside it, this project represented a unique challenge in terms of accident prevention. Together with construction sub-contractor Graña y Montero (GyM), Outotec received a safety award from Votorantim Metais for achieving a spectacular 500,000 working hours without severe incident. The award reflects superb performance on the part of our safety team, as they established significant awareness of work safety amongst all workers on site.
 
“At the end of the day, the safety award is the achievement of all employees involved in the project,“ Florian Hertel, receiving the award on behalf of Outotec, pointed out. “We have committed ourselves to the goal that all personnel should return home safely to their families and loved ones and that there cannot be any work so important that it is worth risking injury for.”
 
The Outotec construction team included two Health and Safety Executive Officers, who constantly ensured that the Outotec philosophy was upheld on site night and day. They were in close contact with their counterparts at GyM throughout, creating the synergy needed to achieve such an outstanding safety performance.

Source: http://www.outotec.com/en/Sustainability/Cases/Bringing-fresh-perspectives-to-zinc-roasting-at-Cajamarquilla/

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