Energy efficiency at the core of cement manufacturing at UltraTech Cement

1st July, 2018

UltraTech has imbibed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a business objective and is working towards reducing its energy consumption and carbon emissions. UltraTech Cement is continuously working on various initiatives to improve its energy efficiency through technological upgradation, process optimization, and productivity improvement.

The company has undertaken several process efficiencies, utility optimisations and operational control measures across stages of production and across its plants to ensure energy savings. Switching from carbon intensive sources of energy (e.g coal, petcoke etc) to green and cleaner sources of energy including waste heat recovery systems (WHRS), solar power and wind power are also means to reduce carbon emissions.

Watts from Waste

UltraTech was one of the first in the Indian cement industry to embrace the technology of WHRS. Waste heat recovery has proved to be an inexpensive energy source in addition to moderating the carbon footprint. This has enhanced energy security (accounting for 20% of power needs) for the company.

UltraTech Cement has an aggregate capacity of about 59 MW in waste heat recovery systems.

Setting benchmarks

The company is one of the best in the industry in terms of specific thermal energy consumption (704 kcal/kg of clinker) as compared to its peers (Global Average is 843.28, India Average is 731). UltraTech has overachieved its energy reduction target with a saving of 85,040 tonnes of oil equivalent (TOE) in its performance for Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) cycle 1. UltraTech is on track to achieve the next phase of PAT cycle targets.

Leading through innovation

Jafrabad Cement Works, an integrated cement unit of UltraTech, in Amreli, Gujarat, was able to save three million units of electric energy annually through an improvement in the preheater fan in ‘slip power recovery system’ (SPRS) mode. This has helped the unit reduce around 2460 tonnes of carbon emission. This system can be replicated across the business where fans operate in SPRS mode. The biggest advantage of this this initiative is that it does not require any stoppage in plant operations for implementation.

Awarpur Cement Works, an integrated cement unit in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, recently upgraded its existing kiln system by adding a new in-line calciner (ILC) preheater which helps in lowering NOx emissions. This is a six-stage preheater which helps to use more heat from exit flue gases for preheating of kiln feed as compared to old four-stage preheater system. This leads to lower specific power and heat consumption. The specific power consumption reduced by 18.5 % and specific heat consumption reduced by 4.3% for the kiln.