Rajah Jayendran, COO RHI Magnesita, plant group manager Markus Pung and the mayor of the Weißenthurm municipality Thomas Przybylla (from left to right) fire up the new tunnel kiln at RHI Magnesita's Urmitz plant.
RHI Magnesita/Side Door Hippies
In November 2021, a new tunnel kiln was fired up at the Urmitz plant of RHI Magnesita, a globally operating company for refractory products and solutions. The 122-meter-long lightweight kiln generates temperatures of up to 1550 °C and represents the heart of modern refractory production. It is primarily used to fire bricks for the refractory lining of aggregates, which are essential for the steel, glass, cement, lime, energy and chemical industries. This is the first time in decades that a tunnel kiln for shaped and fired refractory products has existed at the Urmitz plant. Once fired, the tunnel kiln will burn continuously for several decades and its performance will increase the plant’s capacity by around 25,000 tons per year. The new tunnel kiln significantly expands the plant’s product range and serves to further enhance offerings in non-basic refractory products.
Investment volume of 23 million euros
RHI Magnesita has invested a total of 23 million euros in the site. This will re-equip and expand the traditional plant as a central European hub for the manufacture of non-basic refractory products. In addition to the costs for the construction of the tunnel kiln, the investment is accompanied by the modernization, automation and all-encompassing digitalization of the plant, which are decisive factors for the optimization of the value chain. This will grow the plant’s production volume and at the same time increase its energy efficiency by 10 %.
"The sum is the highest RHI Magnesita has ever invested in Germany – and underlines the strategic importance of the plant, which provides many jobs in the region. The tunnel kiln installation in Urmitz also creates a new demand for jobs: for example, for the first time, employees are being sought who are experts in the field of kiln technology as well as product engineering. A total of 65 new jobs will be created at the plant," summarizes Constantin Beelitz, Regional President Europe, CIS & Turkey RHI Magnesita.