Europe's largest conveyor becomes operational

The 13km-long belt serves cement plant in France

The longest conveyor belt in Europe has begun operating at a cement factory in Montalieu, France.

The Vicat cement plant, which is located on the banks of the Rhône, required a cost-effective solution to bring in limestone from the quarry 6.2km away. The plant selected ConiTech and French bulk handling specialist Techmi to come up with a solution.

The endless belt is about 13km long and does a twist and turn on the head and tail of the system to run parallel to the loaded belt on the return. The 250 tons conveyor belt is powered by three electric motors delivering 250kW each. In normal conditions, the belt can transport up to 700 tons of limestone an hour. At maximum capacity, it can move as much as 1,000 tons.

Nicolas Raphaël, team leader of the French conveyor belt team, said: “For Vicat and Techmi the classic return solution wasn’t really an option on this occasion. The innovative turn solution means we now have a base construction which is not higher than 80cm.”

The belt and the steel cords for the carcass were produced by ContiTech Imas in Volos, Greece. “It’s basically a Stahlcord ST1000-5+5 X, a steel cable conveyor that’s resistant to abrasion, weather and corrosion. It’s also thermally stable, highly durable and low maintenance,” explains Raphaël.

Another advantage is that limestone residues remain on the returning belt rather than falling underneath it, making the system considerably easier to clean. The system has been designed to blend into its surroundings, concrete walls and a cover encase the conveyor belt, so people, animals and vehicles can cross over the construction without any problems.

ContiTech produced and delivered the system within five weeks. In the first stage, 13 rolls each 1km long and weighing 20 tonnes were shipped from Volos to Fos-sur-Mer on the French Mediterranean coast. From there they were transported by road more than 360km to Montalieu.

In Montalieu, two teams spent two months assembling the belt. 

The largest conveyor belt in the world can be found in the Western Sahara, running more than 60 miles from a Moroccan phosphate mine to the edge of the ocean.