CEMCOR received the new machines early this month from Finning UK and Ireland, one of the largest dealers of Cat machines, parts and aftermarket services. The new machines will support CEMCOR’s Cookstown operation, which supplies all of the limestone for the company’s nearby plant, which produces half a million tonnes of cement annually.
Paul Millar, plant manager at CEMCOR, said the fuel savings had driven the company’s investment in the new machines.
“Sustainability is a key issue in the cement industry, as is the cost of energy. So, when planning the make-up of our future fleet, we needed to consider our energy use over the next 10-15 years,” he said.
“We have heard from other clients that using the electric drive technology saves huge amounts of fuel. When you add that to the other technology features the machines have, we found that for our operation, Caterpillar offered the best value overall.”
The delivery included two Cat 988 XE wheeled loaders, which feature electric drives and a rated payload of 14.5 tonnes. The pair of wheeled loaders is the first of its kind in Ireland and is designed to handle heavy-duty tasks and large-scale material handling.
Three Cat 775 highway trucks, a Cat 352 ME excavator and a Cat D4 dozer, were also included in the delivery from Finning to CEMCOR. According to Finning, the machines have the latest features, including automated payload weighing, proximity and overload warning systems, tyre pressure monitoring and automated braking.
CEMCOR, through its partnership with GO Fuels, will run the fleet on HVO biofuel, which it estimates will reduce net carbon emissions by 90% compared to conventional methods.
CEMCOR has opted for a six-year warranty as part of a Customer Value Agreement with Finning, which includes all servicing and maintenance carried out by Caterpillar Certified Finning service engineers based in Lisburn.
“Our field service engineers in Lisburn are fully certified by Caterpillar to carry out servicing and maintenance on the new machines, CEMCOR can be reassured that we’ll keep their fleet fully operational while also maximising on site efficiencies and savings while maintaining productivity,” said Padraig Flynn, machine sales account manager at Finning & Ireland.
“We believe CEMCOR will set new standards for the industry in terms of production efficiency and minimising carbon emissions, it’s great for Finning and Caterpillar to be so closely involved in this new project with CEMCOR.”
