ABB upgrades process control systems and cement grinding units in UAE
Global technology company ABB has installed ABB Ability™ System 800xA®, the market-leading distributed control system (DCS) automation platform, to upgrade three grinding units at Star Super Cement in Dubai/UAE and ensure optimized operations with the Star Cement clinkerization plant in Ras Al Khaimah/UAE.
Star Cement and Star Super Cement are subsidiaries of Ultratech Cement, India and operate a 3 million t/a clinkerization unit at Ras Al Khaimah, four cement grinding units of 2.2 million t/a unit at Jabel Ali, 1.4 million t/a unit at Abu Dhabi and 1.1 million t/a unit at Ajman in UAE as well as a 1 million t/a grinding unit in Bahrain.
ABB was the electrical and automation partner for the Star Cement clinkerization plant ten years ago and had deployed ABB’s DCS for three cement grinding units when these plants were installed. Each grinding unit had a different generation of DCS depending on the plant commissioning period. All grinding units have now been upgraded to ABB Ability System 800xA which can implement advanced process control methods and is ranked by the ARC advisory group as the world’s #1 DCS platform over the last 22 years.
“Star Cement will benefit from improved operator visibility, easier maintenance and minimum downtime with the new upgraded systems and uniformity across the various clinkerization and grinding unit locations,” said Max Tschurtschenthaler, Global Cement Lead, ABB Process Industries.
“The DCS upgrade project handled by ABB ran very smoothly and barely disturbed the organization’s ongoing activities. Well planned engineering and installation works during a holiday period helped us to continue our sales without any disturbance. We’re now in a much better position for future operations,” said TVS Chidambaram, Chief Operating Officer of Star Cement.
The scope of work undertaken by ABB included the upgrade of all previously installed central processing units (CPUs) and controllers to the latest version of ABB Ability System 800xA. The project also involved the complete erection and installation for the new panels while keeping the field wiring intact. Minerals libraries were introduced to the system. Project panels were manufactured and delivered locally.
