Slag to Cement, Cement to Highway or Power Plant

Slovakia, a country rich in limestone reserves, is a home to several large cement plants, to which raw materials and from which finished products are transported ecologically - by rail.

The location of cement factories in Slovakia is determined by to the source of limestone mining. This allows the main raw material to be available immediately at the place of its processing. But even at distances of only 40 kilometers, ZSSK CARGO can help with the ecological transport of lime aggregate, as is the case in the Gemer region.

A Valuable Secondary Raw Material for Cement Plants

In addition to limestone, slag is also one of the basic raw materials in the production of cement. It is created as a waste in the production of iron, thanks to the limestone that is mixed into the smelting. While hot iron is desired by metallurgists, slag is essentially waste for them. However, cement plants in Rohožník in Záhorie region, as well as in Horné Sŕnie and Ladce in Považie region, use slag from the Košice steelworks as a valuable ingredient in the production of their final product.

Slag Transports by ZSSK CARGO

The cement plant in Rohožník is supplied with slag approximately 4 times a week. Each train transports around 1,500 tonnes of the raw material, and these trains are pulled by Class 131, 240, or 363 locomotives. When Vectron locomotives are deployed, there is no need to change a locomotive on the electrified part of the route, thanks to their power and ability to drive under different voltage systems. Upon arrival at the Zohor station, the train splits into two parts. This is where the main electrified line ends and the regional line in Záhorie region begins. With the help of modernized locomotives of the Class 742.6, ZSSK CARGO delivers the train to the final destination station Rohožník.

The modernized EffiShunter locomotives also serve the cement plant in Horné Sŕnie on the "last mile" of the non-electrified route, while in Ladce, trains are pulled by an electric traction to the destination station. Cement plants in Považie also recently started transporting slag from more sources than just from Košice. After contracting the slag volumes also from Ukraine, the raw material is transloaded in Čierna nad Tisou from broad-gauge wagons to ZSSK CARGO Falls type wagons on the standard gauge.

Cement for the Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant

Cement produced in Rohožník is widely used for construction activities in Hungary. ZSSK CARGO is also active in cement transport to these destinations. Recently, cement from Rohožník has been used for the construction of a nuclear power plant near the city of Paks. ZSSK CARGO currently runs up to 7 trains a week from Rohožník. From April 2024, the transport should increase to 9 trains a week. In this case, the process is reversed. Once the shorter unit train with Class 742.6 gets delivered to Zohor, after the two parts are joined, locomotives of class 240, 363, or 383 pull the longer unit train towards the Hungarian border. Due to the great demand, cement also began to flow to the Hungarian market from Horné Sŕnie and Ladce, mostly pulled by Class 363 locomotives, which are able to travel the entire section on both voltage systems without the need for traction change.

Trains also Transport Cement for the Construction of the R2 Expressway

Cement from Horné Sŕnie has one more construction application – within Slovakia. Construction companies use it to build the R2 expressway around Kriváň. Cement is transported by ZSSK CARGO from the station of Horné Sŕnie via Leopoldov to the Zvolen freight station. From there, it is gradually distributed by ZSSK CARGO regional freight trains in groups of wagons to Kriváň or Stožok stations, where the cement is transferred to trucks, which only bring it on the last kilometers by road.

Although iron and cement producers are one of the largest emitters of CO₂ emissions, it is notable to mention that it is impossible to reduce these impacts without huge investments. However, businesses in these industries are doing everything in their power to be actively involved where they can reduce their ecological footprint. And a shining example of this is the use of the railway for the transport of raw materials and finished products, which, compared to road transport, is up to nine times more ecological.

Photos: Matej Pleško, Štefan Kováčik