Noranda Alumina continues to expand the chemical grade alumina (CGA) capabilities of its Gramercy refinery with its commissioning of a 40 ton per hour Tornesh hydrate dryer and a dense phase pneumatic conveying system as the final phase of a CGA expansion project launched in late 2017. The Tornesh dryer and conveying system are new technologies for the Gramercy refinery, which now has the ability to produce up to 800,000 metric tons of CGA annually.
Construction on this $20 million capital project began in November 2017, reaching its first milestone in April of 2018 with installation and commercial operation of a 65 ton per hour hydrate filter. Installation of the new hydrate dryer and pneumatic conveying system were completed in early December, with commercial operations starting this week.
“This new equipment, along with a new hydrate reclamation system, significantly increases Noranda Alumina’s CGA capacity while improving our operational flexibility and efficiency,” said John Habisreitinger, the company’s executive vice president. “The completion of this project enables Noranda Alumina to increase CGA supply without sacrificing total plant takeout,” Habisreitinger said.
Published in the February 2019 Edition
