LafargeHolcim's Oggaz and Msila plants in Algeria represent a massive combined production capacity exceeding 6.5 million tonnes of cement annually. The facilities' legacy FLSmidth ECS systems were becoming obsolete, threatening the stability of these critical production lines.
Our engineering leadership executed a monumental brownfield migration to a highly deterministic Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 architecture. The upgrade spanned four massive production lines (three Grey Cement, one White Cement), covering eight critical process areas per line: Crusher, Additives, Raw Mill, Kiln, Cooler, Cement Mill, and Packing.
Extreme Execution Under Pressure
This modernization was achieved under extreme circumstances. The entire commissioning, startup, and stabilization of all four lines were executed consecutively within a relentless six-month window. Operating on continuous 18-hour shifts during the height of global pandemic restrictions, our team successfully hit every strict shutdown window without delaying the client's supply chain.
- Massive I/O Migration: Seamlessly cut over approximately 10,000 I/O points per grey line and 5,000 I/O points for the white line, ensuring zero data loss.
- CEMAT Integration: Deployed the specialized Siemens CEMAT Minerals Library to standardize logic and optimize operational efficiency across all crushing and milling zones.
- Sub-System Synchronization: Integrated dozens of legacy, third-party sub-systems into the new unified PCS 7 central command center.
- High-Availability Architecture: Deployed robust AS 410-5H redundant controllers to guarantee continuous operation of the kilns and raw mills.
- Rapid Stabilization: Conducted intensive hot loop checks and logic optimization to achieve immediate plant stabilization directly following hot cut-overs.
