By Mauro Nogarin
The Colombian company Cementos Argos continues to strengthen its export capacity and competitively serve its customers in various markets throughout the Americas. For the first time, it carried out simultaneous cement loading of three vessels from its maritime terminal in Cartagena.
This operation handled more than 31,000 metric tons of cement. From platform 1, more than 7,000 tons of bulk cargo traveled to the Antilles, and more than 3,000 tons of packaged cargo went to the Caribbean islands. Meanwhile, from platform 2, more than 21,000 tons of bulk cargo were transported to the United States.
In addition, by the end of July 2025, the company reached a cargo volume of 570,000 metric tons of bulk cement on 44 vessels. It also packaged more than 50,000 metric tons of cement on 15 vessels.
To achieve these results, Argos modernized the terminal to increase its installed capacity to import and export up to 3.5 million metric tons of cement, clinker, and raw materials annually. This will triple the current capacity for receiving and exporting products.
This allows Argos to guarantee continuity of supply and strengthen its competitiveness in key markets in Houston, the United States, and Puerto Rico, among other countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
The total area covers 3,600 sq. meters and is equipped with control systems that allow for feeding the hermetic belts to load 39-ft.-draft Panamax vessels.
In terms of capacity, the new terminal can load up to 1,200 tph for cement and 900 tph for clinker, representing a 170% increase in export and receiving capacity.
The infrastructure features new sealed conveyor belts that can transport materials directly from the storage silos to the ship, reducing the movement of loaded trucks.
Additionally, the Cartagena maritime terminal has a 152-meter-long and 18-meter-wide berthing platform, with a 170-meter-long walkway, from which vessels of up to 60,000 tons can be handled through controlled berthing maneuvers.
The expansion also includes a new one-kilometer-long tubular conveyor belt with a transport capacity of 1,200 tph, connecting the port with the clinker production plant. It also features a complementary conveyor system that connects the transport system between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
However, to achieve this result, it is important to mention that one of the plant’s most recent innovations is the new silo, a 35-meter-high, 28-meter-diameter structure capable of storing up to 20,000 tons of cement. This infrastructure allows ships to be loaded simultaneously at both terminals. The cement is transported via conveyor belts to the new silo, which also reduces the emissions that would otherwise be generated by using trucks.
Currently, the company produces 2.3 million tpy of cement, 60% of which it exports.
The Cartagena cement plant currently has a precalciner tower with a FLSmidth rotary kiln for dry processing and a Fives-Pillard multi-channel burner for different types of fuels such as coal, petroleum coke, natural gas and alternative materials.
- Two OK-33-FLSmidth vertical cement mills with a capacity of 150 tph each.
- Two Allis Chalmer horizontal cement mills with capacities of 45 and 80 tph, respectively.
To reduce CO2 emissions, the Cartagena plant also uses a precalciner tower with an ILC (In Line Calciner), which reduces fuel consumption and lowers CO2 emissions.
Variable-speed fans and process equipment allow for efficient use of electricity and reduces CO2 emissions.
The Cartagena plant primarily uses agro-industrial waste, such as shellfish, wood, and fibers deposited in the fields. It also uses non-recyclable plastics, paper, cardboard, and all types of hydrocarbons. However, the most commonly used waste is tires, and the kilns have the capacity to consume 100 tpd of waste.
The waste is introduced into the kiln to function as fuel, generating a reaction. During co-processing, the ash from the waste is mixed with limestone, clay,and sand – the raw materials for clinker.
During this process, no toxic materials are released into the environment, as the waste is burned inside a cement kiln equipped with specialized filtering equipment.
Mauro Nogarin is Cement Optimized’s Latin American correspondent.
