Seamless combination

Terex MPS plant chosen for Laos dam project

1 View on the Laos dam project

2 The Terex MPS plant produces the required aggregates for the construction of the dam

3 The plant also includes 45 conveyor belts with a total length of 1400 m

A‌ joint venture of Italy’s Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti (CMC) di Ravenna, Thai company Ital Thai and Vietnam’s Song Da Corporation is using a 1500 t/h ICM Terex MPS plant to produce aggregates for a 4 million m³ RCC (rolled compacted concrete) and 500 000 m³ CVC (conventional concrete) dam at the Nam Theun River, Bolikhamsay Province in Laos. The dam, which is 105 m high and 700 m long at the top, will produce electricity in three groups: two units of 250 MW to be distributed in Thailand, and one group of 150 MW to be distributed for local use in Laos.

The solution consisted of a complete crushing plant to produce 1500 t/h of concrete aggregates. The plant is made up of two Simplicity Vibrating Grizzly Feeder 5220, two Cedarapids Jaw Crushers JS4552, four cone crushers, of which two are Cedarapids MVP550X and the other two are Cedarapids MVP450X, three ICM Vertical Shaft Impactor T-MAV 21, two Cedarapids Horizontal Screens TSV6202, and six Cedarapids Horizontal Screens TSV8203. Additionally, the set up includes 45 conveyors (total length of 1400 m), and the installation of 5000 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 1800 t/h and one for sand with a capacity of 700 t/h). The supply is completed by a set of conveyors with a capacity of 1000 m³/h to pour RCC into the dam.

Due to the abrasiveness of the sandstone, distributor ICM srl, 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. Once sized, the shape is improved using the Vertical Shaft Impactors. Icilio Guicciardi, from ICM, explains, “This is a philosophy that always gives good results in terms of the quality of the aggregates and the reduction of wear costs.”

Commissioned in 2018, the plant was supplied by distributor ICM srl, Italy, who also completed all the engineering required (except civil works), equipment, electrical system (power and controls), steel work (hot galvanized), 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.

Icilio Guicciardi continues: “This is the third plant, in less than ten 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 3300 t/h of basalt and Ethiopia with a plant to produce 2000 t//h of granite. Panama was delivered in 4 months and started production in 10 months, while Ethiopia was delivered in 3 months and started production in 6 months.”

Paul Lilley, Sales Director, Terex MPS, 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.