Nowadays, an application that will set an example for many municipalities and local governments in Antalya attracts a lot of attention in terms of environmental protection. The waste disposal system, commissioned by AS Çimento, the experienced name of the cement industry, in cooperation with the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, completely destroys Antalya’s 550 tons of sludge per day. As the solution partner of this revolutionary project, which has a positive impact on both the nature and the health of the people of the region, OM Engineering comes to the stage. Besides his knowledge and experience in construction and mining machinery attachments, OM Engineering contributes to nature and economy with his new product: Solid Waste Pumping System installed in AS Çimento’s facility.
Nihat Kılıç
General Manager
AS Cement
While environmental problems on land and sea are arising, lucky that there are people who come up with ideas and develop projects to prevent this. A special system installed by OM Engineering to the facility of AS Çimento, in cooperation with Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, works 24 hours a day to dispose 550 tons of sludge in Antalya. Seas and underground waters of Antalya remain much cleaner now. Special thanks to OM Engineering for solid waste pump systems. Having achieved high export figures in the cement sector for many years, AS Çimento has undertaken an important mission for the protection of Antalya with this system installed in its factories. We talked about the solid waste disposal project with Nihat Kılıç, the experienced name of the industry, AS Çimento General Manager, who stated that they have taken a long way in the project, which started to work about 1.5 years ago. Nihat Kılıç, who stepped into cement factories as soon as he graduated from the Chemical Engineering Department of Karadeniz
Technical University, devoted his entire professional career of more than 40 years to this sector.
What is the importance of AS Çimento for the Turkish economy and what kind of economic value do you create?
AS Çimento was founded by the regional entrepreneur, Adem Sak. First rotatable furnace was installed in 2005 and its capacity at that time was 1 million tons per year. Later, a second furnace was established in 2007, and its capacity was increased to 4.5 million tons. At the time of its establishment, it attracted attention as Turkey’s largest factory in the region Biggest export was realized with an annual export of 2.5 million tons individually. In addition to this, AS Çimento was a company that balances cement prices in Turkey and can send cement to all parts of Turkey at the time of establishment. Today, we export 50 percent of our production and export in 2020 was one million tons. This year we aim to export 2 million tons and 85 million dollars of income.
Can you tell us about the innovative project you have realized with Antalya Metropolitan Municipality in your facility?
Cement factories are using the most modern systems for waste disposal, especially in Europe. We also made calculations on how to evaluate the wastes that harm the environment and are difficult to store. In that context, sludges of Antalya had to be evaluated. We worked on this issue with our environment and raw material director Muhammet Mazlum. With the pumping system developed by OM Engineering, for the first time in Turkey, we established the system that disposes of all the waste of a city in a modern way within the cement factory.
How did the project develop?
This was not a system used in Turkey before. By doing research, we also received bids from foreign companies. We turned to companies that make domestic production by saying that they will contribute to our country and taking risks into account. As a result, we made an agreement with OM Engineering. It was produced and assembled in a short period of 3 months. We had some difficulties in this process, but the company stood behind its product and modernized it. Currently, 3 of our pumps are working at the highest quality. We dispose of 550 tons of waste per day.
How does the system work?
Valuation of sludges of the cities was first realized in Nuh Çimento plant. The system applied there and the system here are completely different from each other. Nuh Çimento dried these wastes with a drying system and used the waste as coal. Our system, on the other hand, was developed with the logic of pumping the waste in its natural state to the disposal sites of the system. It is also important as it is a system made without consuming any extra energy and calorie consumption. Of these wastes coming into our system, 80 percent is water and 20 percent is solid waste. Solid waste has calories, and some of these calories are used to evaporate that water. Some of them also get back into the system. Thus, we obtain coal. We burn them in the system and dispose them in a modern way.
What is your goal with this project?
Currently, 550 tons of waste is produced daily in Antalya region and this increases with the arrival of tourists during the summer period. This work cannot be done without taking responsibility and just making theoretical calculations. We actually do it and dispose 550 tons per day. Our goal is to buy a new pump and increase it to 700 tons.
What would you say about its economic contribution?
First of all, it provides a great income to Antalya Municipality. In terms of protecting nature and underground water resources, the disposal of this waste was a huge burden. Antalya Municipality got rid of most of that burden. We also use 10% of the 20% solid waste in 500 tons of waste in the evaporation of water. So, we use it as coal. While we dispose 120 thousand tons per year, we recover 10% of it as coal. We obtain 12 thousand tons of coal per year. Instead of mixing to seas and underground waters, the wastes are valued in AS Çimento and contribute to the economy.
Can the project spread throughout Turkey? Is it only applicable in cement factories?
This project is a great opportunity for Turkey. It can be used in systems that have combustion systems, use coal and have waste heat like ours. It can be fully applied in all cement factories. There are 57 integrated cement plants in Turkey. All managers of these facilities who want to take the responsibility can test and try the system and make great contribution to our country.
What can you say about your cooperation with OM Engineering?
Even it was possible to purchase the system from a foreign company in a more practical way, we contacted them because we know that such Bepumping systems are produced in Turkey under Betonstar brand. They directed us to OM Engineering company. I trust Turkish engineers and Turkish businessmen. With my 42-year experience, I believed that a Turkish company could do such a job since some systems developed in the world were tested in Turkish cement factories. They stand behind their product and developed it continuously. I trust and I have full faith that they can do even better.
Oğuz Diken
Chairman of the Board
OM Engineering
OM is leading anotherin novation again…!
Solid waste pumping system has a special place for Oğuz Diken, the founder of OM Engineering, which offers expert solutions in the production of construction and mining machinery attachments and industrial type excavators. We talked about both the system and the goals of OM Engineering with Diken, who has positioned this special application for the protection of the environment among the company’s main strategies:
What is Om Engineering’s area of expertise and where does OM position himself?
OM Engineering, which I founded in 1991, is actually a company that leads innovation in Turkey. As you know, at the beginning we were giving machine-equipment support to different companies. Afterwards, we supported a company as a sub-industry for many years. We became the first company in Turkey to develop buckets and attachments for construction equipment. Afterwards, we started to manufacture mining size buckets as the leading and only company. We are the first company that produced concrete pump and pioneered its establishment.
Can you tell us about your current project, which is also a first?
We developed a solid waste pumping system as the request of AS Çimento. In the person of company General Manager Mr. Nihat, they supported us in this project and we realized the system. We have now delivered the third unit. Working hours and operating conditions are very important in engineering. A machine has first, second, and third operating conditions and varies depending on the operating weight of the machine. A concrete pump runs a maximum of 1,000 hours per year. But; when you say mud pump, it works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Although we had problems with time constraints on the first two machines, we were able to overcome all problems. As our industry knows us, we did not leave any of our work unfinished. We stood behind our company and achieved success.
What are the issues that challenge you in terms of engineering and materials, and how did you ensure continuity in this business with your experience?
The pumps we have produced so far were completely concrete pumps. This is a high-viscosity material that is difficult to transmit even though it doesn’t look so. The distance is long, there are those who are afraid of heights, and most importantly, the system will work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Therefore, although we do not have much experience in these matters, we read the values of the machine every day, every moment. We constantly followed the pressure and the problems. Eventually, we overcame them on the third machine.
Has this system been applied in Turkey before?
There are different applications in one or two locations of foreign companies. As a Turkish company, OM Engineering carried out this work for the first time. We reached to a happy end together with AS Çimento who gave support to us. I thank them.
Which sectors do you think can use the application?
Solid waste pumps can be used for a wide variety of materials. It can be sludge or a material that does not harm the nature. Disposal in this way is a very important development for our country. Our vision here is solid waste pumping in general. Therefore, we aspire to pump all kinds
of materials of this type.
Yavuz Gültekin
Operations Manager
AS Cement
Yavuz Gültekin, who has been working as the operations manager at AS Çimento Factory for two years, conveyed the features of the new system they installed in their facility to our magazine as follows:
“About 1,5 years ago, we installed the treatment sludge, delivery system and pump system resulting from the disposal of domestic waste water in our factory. The aim of the project was to dispose the sludge formed by treatment of domestic wastewater and at the same time use it as a benefit like an economic input. The sludge conveying system pumps the incoming sludge in 3 different locations in our factory. We both benefit from the calories of the dry matter in the sludge and also provide benefit to our factory as disposal income. The system can operate on a 24-hour basis as long as the factory operates. The components that make up the system include the sludge, the hopper where the sludge is temporarily stored, the pump station underneath and the delivery pipes. We pump in 3 different locations in our factory. We mainly inject the sludge into the raw mill inlet, the rotary kiln transfer and calciner, as well as the coal mill inlet, by means of pumps.
It contributes to both environment and economy
This project is an environmental project in itself. We dispose sludge of a leading city in tourism, such as Antalya, by burning it until there is no trace of waste left. Accordingly, we are proud to get involved in an environmental project. I think that such projects as this should spread in our country. Waste mixture to environment is prevented directly or indirectly, and it also contributes to economy.
İsmail Oruç
Shift Engineer
AS Cement
“In our central control station, we follow every stage of cement production on a unit basis. Our system consists of 2 parts. We have 2 separate hoppers and 3 solid waste pumps. Solid wastes come to our facility as pulp and are poured into the hoppers. Then, transferred to the system by auger together with pistons. Sometimes solid wastes are too dense and solid. In order to prevent this, we activate pressurized water valves. Making the solid pulp a little more liquid allows us to integrate it into the system more easily.”
Başar Geçkil
Hydraulics Department Specialist
OM Engineering
How Does the Solid Waste Pumping System Work?
Başar Geçkil who followed entire process of solid waste disposal facility in AS Çimento from production to installation described operation of the system as;
“Our system consists of 2 hoppers with a capacity of 100 cubic meters. There are auger system, delivery line and hydraulic power units on bottom side. We are currently sending approximately 550 tons of solid waste to the facility for disposal everyday. Solid wastes come to the facility by tankers and discharged to our hoppers. Inside hoppers, there are two stripper attachments. These attachments forcefully deliver solid waste to our auger assembly. Auger group directs solid waste to the boiler and delivery line on the bottom side. In front of our two hydraulic cylinders, there are rubber attachments, which we call compression wedges. Solid waste is transferred to the furnaces of the plant by the help of hydraulic power for disposal. Our machine transfers solid waste up to 90 meters vertically and 350 meters horizontally with a pressure in between 90 and 125 bars.”