A new 60,000 ton clinker silo in Guidonia (Rome) went into service a few days ago, adding to the three existing 25,000 ton silos and allowing the plant to more easily adapt production capacity to sales volume. Work on the silo was initiated in June 2008 and completed in August 2009.
The cylindrical, concrete silo has an internal diameter of 36 meters and is 58 meters high. The systems for loading the clinker from the kiln and unloading it from the silo are completely automated.
This investment has a very favorable impact on both our production operations and the surrounding environment because it practically eliminates the need to store clinker in the open, which creates high levels of dust when it is shoveled and transported by truck. From a financial standpoint, the plant will benefit from a sizeable reduction in internal transportation costs. Lastly, storing the clinker in a protected location will lead to an improvement in the quality of our cements.