Bhutan’s first-ever Combo X70 manufactured sand plant was commissioned on 25th May 2021 with a resounding success for State Mining Corporation Limited (SMCL), the first state-owned mining company in the country.
SMCL was looking to produce high-quality concrete sand, which was to be used for the construction of the prestigious 600-MW Kholongchhu hydroelectric project in eastern Bhutan.
This new project, Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited, is a joint venture of SJVN (India) and Druk Green Power Corporation (Bhutan)
SMCL executives first contacted us back in August 2017 and physically inspected the our manufacturing facilities and similar project sites commissioned in India.Thereafter, representative samples were sent to the CFlo laboratory for testing and establishing the quality parameters required by the SMCL concrete experts.Since the output sand was to be used for critical applications at the Hydropower project, SMCL left no stones unturned in selecting the right equipment and technology.
The major challenges anticipated for the proposed project were availability of land, water and disposal of wastewater, as the project site was located high amongst the mountains and in the vicinity of villages. Our patented Combo technology perfectly fits the bill in addressing these challenges.
The Combo is our flagship mobile sand plant, that is capable of processing crushed rock fines and deliver sand with consistent specification. It completely removes silt and clay and provides assured cleansing of deleterious fines. The near pin-point accuracy of modern sand production technology has far surpassed older sand washing methods, which were prone to causing environmental hazards, water wastage and were unable to achieve the precise gradation and quality demanded of industrial sand.
The plant is set up near Dzungdi Crushing Plant in Doksum, a village in north-eastern Bhutan. It is located in Khamdang Gewog in Trashiyangtse District at an elevation of 2769 feet. Project installation and commissioning got completed under the supervision of CFlo's Commissioning Engineer, Harilal Yadav, Senior Deputy Manager (Project & PlantPlus), CFlo. Round-the-clock support to the project was arranged by Mr. Sangay Tshering, General Manager - Projects and Operations of SMCL.
Commenting on the performance of the plant, Mr. Kezang Jamtsho, CEO of SMCL said "We are extremely happy with the State-of-the-art technology provided by CFlo and are hopeful that the service support going forward will be excellent as well."
It was an ideal green choice for SMCL to produce high-quality sand and also impeccably take care of environmental issues. As partners in progress, CFlo in collaboration with SMCL strives to create a prosperous and sustainable Bhutan.
