“Elba Export” LLC
“Elba Export” LLC
“Elba Export” LLC – Lime Enterprise Operation Conditions Change Project (EIA Report)
Type of Activity: Lime Production
Legal Address: Tbilisi, Dighomi Villag, 50 Rostevani Street
Actual Address: Rustavi, 12 Gagarini Street
Identification Code: 405247834
Cadastral Code: 02.07.04.764
Contact Person: Nino Katsitadze; 579 33 33 36
Distance to the nearest settlement: Approx. 850 m
Distance to Penitentiary Institution No. 16: Approx. 530 m
Distance to the nearest surface water body (Kura River) – 2,300 m
Location on the map – https://maps.app.goo.gl/aG46NTE9FuHbvkAK9
The nearest enterprise outside the territory of LLC “Rustavi Steel” is LLC “Heidelberg Cement Georgia”, which is located at a distance of ≈850 m.
The enterprise operates based on Order No. 2-896 (September 16, 2019) from the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. This order issued an Environmental Decision for Lime Production to LLC Rustavi Steel. On October 31, 2019, Ministerial Order No. 2-1043 transferred the environmental decision from LLC Rustavi Steel to LLC “Elba Export”. This environmental decision was issued based on the 2009 Ecological Expertise Conclusion No. 90.
Work Schedule: Currently, the enterprise employs 60 people. It operates continuously, 24 hours a day, for 320 days a year. The work regime is two-shift, with 12-hour working shifts.
Current Activity: Currently, lime production in the enterprise is carried out using two shaft furnaces, each with a capacity of 40 tons per day according to the 2009 Ecological Expertise Conclusion No. 90. The shaft kilns operate simultaneously in continuous mode.
Limestone used for lime production is brought from a quarry in Dedoplistskaro municipality. It is crushed and sorted on-site and enters the lime enterprise in 20-80 mm fractions. Lime burning is done using natural gas.
Both lime kilns have dust-collecting cyclones with 90% efficiency to clean the gas-dust mixture.
Description of the gas-dust collection system: The lime kilns and the mill are equipped with dust collection systems. Specifically, cyclones are installed on the exhaust system of each kiln, with an efficiency of 90% according to technical documentation. The cleaned gas from the cyclones is emitted through two independent pipes, each 49 m high and 0.8 m in diameter.
The lime mill’s gas-dust mixture undergoes two-stage cleaning: first through a cyclone, then through a bag filter. According to technical documentation, the cyclone efficiency is 90%, while the filter efficiency is 99%. Emission occurs through a 25 m high and 0.5 m diameter exhaust pipe. The filter bags are cleaned automatically.
Planned Activity involves increasing the operational conditions.
As a result of production optimization measures carried out in the enterprise, it became possible to increase the capacity of the shaft kilns, and currently, the amount of product produced by each kiln is 70 tons. In addition, the limestone grinding mill has been rehabilitated and put into operation for the production of ground lime.
At this stage, two shaft kilns are operating in the enterprise, functioning in parallel mode with a continuous cycle. The capacity of each kiln is 70 tons per day, and under maximum load conditions, the capacity can increase up to 80 tons per day (the maximum capacity of 80 tons/day will be used for calculations). The hourly capacity of one kiln is 3.333 tons/hour, and accordingly, for 2 kilns, it is 6.666 tons/hour. The enterprise’s daily capacity is 160 tons, while the amount of product produced during the month is ≈4800 tons. The annual capacity is 58,400 tons instead of 26,800 tons/year defined by the environmental decision.
An existing ball mill, located in a separate building, now produces ground lime at 15 tons/hour. A belt conveyor supplies quicklime to the mill’s bunker.
To clean the gas-dust mixture produced during the mill’s operation, two cyclones are installed, and the air cleaned in the cyclones undergoes final cleaning through a single-section bag filter. The filter consists of 48 bags. The filter efficiency is 95%.
Situational scheme of the plant location:
Lime and Combined Fertilizer Enterprise Setup and Operation Project (Scoping Report)
Nearest residential zone is 1.7 km away from the construction site
Distance to surface water body (Kura River): 3.5 km
The project will establish a lime and combined fertilizer processing enterprise with two main buildings and supporting infrastructure.
The planned buildings are simple structures, assembled using sandwich panels. The project area also includes plans for constructing a small office and setting up a parking lot.
The production process is planned for 300 days a year with a 24-hour work schedule, employing 150 workers.
The annual production plan is 86,400 tons of combined fertilizer and 45,000 tons of lime.
The enterprise will produce various types of combined fertilizers, depending on which fertilizer is in demand during specific periods of the year.
For combined fertilizer production – capacity is 12 tons/hour.
The main ingredients of the combined fertilizer are phosphorus and potassium, which will be imported from Turkey and Iran, while nitrogen and filler will be purchased in the local market. The company plans to produce several types of combined fertilizers.
Lime production – The project calculates a production of 150 tons of lime per day.
The main technological process for lime production is limestone burning.
*For detailed information about the enterprise, please refer to the materials we have prepared regarding public deliberations on the enterprise’s planned activities – public deliberation of the EIA report, public deliberation of the scoping report, public deliberation of the EIA report.