AT Massey Installs E-Crane® at Carmeuse Lime

Carmeuse Lime in Maysville KY mines limestone for the production of lime and construction aggregate. Lime is used by electric power utilities and other consumers; it is produced in a coal fired kiln and is used as part of the combustion flue gas cleaning in today’s modern power plants. With the goal of reducing fuel transportation and handling costs, Carmeuse Lime contracted with AT Massey Energy / Roadfork Development for a long term coal supply contract for the Maysville facility. The agreement also included significant upgrades to peripheral equipment, coal storage and barge unloading. AT Massey will provide turnkey responsibility for all coal handling services at the Carmeuse facility.

Taking the project lead for AT Massey was Randall Johnson. Mr. Johnson coordinated proposals from E-Crane International USA and Powell Construction for an innovative coal barge unloader, conveyor upgrades and storage silos.

E-Crane International and Powell Construction were selected to provide the upgrade equipment and services at the Carmeuse facility.

E-Crane® was faced with several challenges: Economics dictated the use of the existing high cell and hopper and 35 foot of change between high and low river pool, as well as a lack of land access for dismantling and installation. True to the company’s slogan: “Extraordinary products from extraordinary people” Mr. Osborne, President E-Crane International USA, accepted the challenge and helped develop a custom material handling solution using standard 700 Series components. According to Osborne, “E-Crane® provided more than equipment.” “ECI developed a complete turnkey solution including dismantling of the existing ancient cell mounted cable machine along with installation of the new modern E-Crane® on the same cell.”

The crane was shipped in 15 pieces from the E-Crane® workshop in Adegem Belgium to Baltimore MD From there it was trucked to Madison Coal & Supply Co., Port Amherst, Charleston, WV. Under the supervision of Mr. Osborne and his crew, the crane was partially assembled into 5 subassemblies on a barge moored at Port Amherst. The sub-assembled crane together with a workbarge and a crane barge supplied by Madison Coal was pushed to Maysville KY. The Madison Coal team together with specialist from the USA and Belgium dismantled the old crane and installed the new E-Crane® in a record breaking 5 days

• Technical data: E-Crane®, Series 700 Model 4264 PDE – 4.0 yd3 Bucket
• mounted offset on a 34′ diameter cell at 520′ above sea level, boom pin at 28’7″ above the top of the cell. The crane has to make lifts exceeding 100 feet vertically under the worst conditions. The hopper is placed 58′ from center of rotation to center of hopper.

The E-Crane® has been in operation since June 2004.