w&p Zement invests in sustainable mining technology
In the spirit of responsible use of natural resources, w&p Zement has invested in a modern raw stone processing plant at the Peggau site. In the future, this will make it possible to process a larger proportion of the raw material extracted and then to turn it into high-quality limestone products.
“With the new raw material preparation plant, we have implemented an essential future project for responsible and careful handling of our natural raw material sources. At the same time, extending the life of the deposit will secure the supply of production and thus the Peggau location for the future in the long term,” explains Lutz Weber, Managing Director of w&p Zement for the Technology Division, on the occasion of today’s opening ceremony at the quarry. For the construction of the plant by regional partner companies, w&p Zement has invested a sum of over € 2.5 million.
State policy welcomes commitment to resource conservation
“Regional value creation and jobs depend to a large extent on the innovative strength of local companies. With its investment in new, resource-saving processes, w&p Zement has set an important course in the direction of sustainable and future-oriented production at the site,” emphasized State Councilor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl in her speech. The first push of the start button by Eibinger-Miedl was followed by the official opening of the new raw material preparation plant.
Added value in the region
For the construction of the new processing plant, w&p Zement relied exclusively on the competence and experience of its local partner companies. The construction of the plant was carried out by the Gleisdorf-based company Binder+Co in cooperation with the Wernstein-based company CAB. SteKa in Graz was also responsible for the electrical installation and Porr for all the necessary master builder work. “When implementing our projects, we build on trusting partnerships with companies that we know and that are located in the vicinity of our sites. On this basis, we not only guarantee professional execution, but also ensure value creation in the region,” emphasizes Robert Schmied, site manager in Peggau.
Investment focus on mining
“Due to the high clay content in the deposit, a significant part of the raw material extracted had to be screened out and stockpiled. Thanks to modern washing and screening units as well as an additional slurry buffer, we are now able to separate even clayey material from the pure raw stone that is valuable for us,” Jürgen Kolp, project manager and mining manager of w&p Zement at the Peggau site, explains the sense of the € 2.5 million investment. This immediately followed the purchase of two new CAT dump trucks in May 2021 for a total of € 900000. These investments are part of a whole series of strategic development steps that are ultimately aimed at improving the quality of the products manufactured for customers in the lime, building materials and concrete industries: For example, drones will be used to survey the quarry in order to improve quarrying and blasting planning, and new grain sizes will ensure maximum efficiency in the operation of the lime kiln.
