Lignite Sun Drying

The ‘A’ Grade lignite that is procured from the GMDC, Panandhro Mines, has the following properties.

1. Calorific Value (Kcal/ Kg)	3300 to 3500
2. Fixed Carbon	22%
3. Ash Content	12 to 18%
4. Volatile Matter	30 to 35%
5. Moisture	28 to 35%

The volatile matter (reduces by about 15 percentage points) and moisture (reduces by about 20 percentage points) needs to be reduced to make the lignite more suitable for the production of cement. This is done by drying the lignite naturally under the sun in an open plot known as ‘lignite yard’.

The Lignite sun drying is a separate activity independent of the transportation done. The entire activity consists of the following sub- activities utilizing the respective equipments. The sun drying activity starts after a loaded lignite truck reaches at the ‘lignite yard’ of Sanghipuram.

Step	Sub-activity details	Equipment used	Remarks
1.	Unloading the truck	Excavator	Not required if the truck is a dumper/ tipper
2.	Breaking the big pieces into smaller ones	Tractor with teethed crusher attachment	If required.
3.	Spreading for sun drying	Excavator	The spreading area keeps on changing
4.	Stacking	Excavator/ Loader	Interchangeable, depending on availability of equipment
5.	Loading into dumpers	Loader/ Excavator	Interchangeable, depending on availability of equipment
6.	Feeding the lignite hopper at clinker plant.	Dumper	Dumper leaves the sun drying lignite yard for the adjacent lignite feeding hopper. Although, this is a transportation activity in its true sense, it is considered as a part of sun drying activity.

Note:

The lignite requirement of power plant is also met at step 6. However, for billing purpose, this is considered as a separate activity (transportation) and accordingly a separate bill (transportation of sun dried lignite from lignite yard to power plant lignite hopper) is raised.
The billing quantity for sun drying is same as the quantity of lignite that is transported from GMDC, Panandhro Mines to Sanghipuram.