Enhancing Energy Efficiency in the Cement Industry

Ogbeide SO*
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ambrose Alli University, PMB 14, Ekpoma, Edo State
*Corresponding Author: Ogbeide SO, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ambrose Alli University, PMB 14, Ekpoma, Edo State.

Published: October 16, 2024

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Abstract  

Cement has been a part of almost everything that man has built to improve his life. The chemistry and technology involved in its production have significantly contributed to the development of the world that we have today. The cement industry is one of the largest industrial energy consumers, contributing significantly to global CO2 emissions. Enhancing energy efficiency in the cement industry is crucial due to its high energy consumption and significant carbon emissions. The industry is responsible for approximately 7-8% of global CO2 emissions, making energy efficiency improvements a key strategy for reducing its environmental impact. The present paper will study the energy consumption in cement industry in Nigeria through real auditing and identify technological opportunities in order to decrease energy consumption of the relevant factories, increase the productivity, and improve the production process. Relevant standards planned by government that can provide significant potentials, are discussed too, Moreover, the results prove that consulting sector experts enables the collection of updated ideas for improving technologies, thus giving valuable inputs to the scientific research. One of the challenges for the cement industry in developing countries is the wet manufacturing process. Outdated technologies consume a huge amount of energy, which negatively affects the competitiveness of products. In addition to switching to a dry process in cement production, our engineering company implements other projects leading to increase the efficiency of existing cement plants. This includes the modernization of cement kilns, the introduction of vertical cement mills, as well as the design and installation of renewable energy equipment. The increase in production and efficiency is reflected in the achievement of the impressive financial results that our customers demonstrate shortly after modernization.

Keywords: Cement Industry; Energy Efficiency; CO2 Emissions; Industrial Energy

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