CDE’s M-Sand Plant deployed in Bhutan by SMCL

Bhutan’s first Combo X70 manufactured sand plant was commissioned on 25th May 2021 with 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 for use in the construction of the prestigious 600-MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric project in eastern Bhutan. Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited is a joint venture of SJVN (India) and Druk Green Power Corporation (Bhutan).

SMCL executives had contacted CDE Asia in August 2017 and had also inspected CDE’s manufacturing facilities and similar project sites in India. Thereafter, representative samples were sent to CDE laboratory for testing and establishing the quality parameters required by 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 in the mountains and in the vicinity of villages. CDE’s patented Combo technology fit the bill in addressing these challenges due to the following features:

• Compact design of plant means a small footprint
• Consumes significantly lower power
• 95% processed water is recirculated for reuse
• Zero discharge of water
• Plant emits low noise

Combo, CDE’s flagship mobile sand plant, can process crushed rock fines and deliver sand with consistent specifications. 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 cause environmental hazards and water wastage, and were unable to achieve the precise gradation and quality demanded of industrial sand.

The CDE 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 was completed under the supervision of CDE Commissioning Engineer, Harilal Yadav. Round-the-clock support to the project was arranged by Sangay Tshering, General Manager - Projects and Operations, SMCL.

The plant enabled SMCL to produce high-quality sand and also take care of the environment. Commenting on the performance of the CDE plant, Kezang Jamtsho, CEO, SMCL, said, “We are extremely happy with the state-of-the-art technology provided by CDE and are hopeful that the service support will be excellent as well.”

As partners in progress, CDE along with SMCL, strive to create a prosperous and sustainable Bhutan.