COUNTING THE DOLLARS: ECONOMIC BENEFITS EXPLORED THROUGH CLINKER COOLER BED ENERGY RECOVERY OPTIMIZATION

Abstract

The manufacturing of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) stands as one of the most energy-intensive industries globally, with energy costs accounting for over thirty percent of production expenses (Worrell et al., 2001). Cement industries collectively consume at least five percent of the total global industrial energy (Cengel and Boles, 2008). This high energy demand not only contributes significantly to production costs but also raises environmental concerns related to energy consumption in industrial processes.Efforts to address these challenges have centered on reducing energy loss through the optimization of the pyro system and enhancing energy recovery in the clinker cooler (Ghada et al., 2019; Oyepata et al., 2020). The pyro system, responsible for the thermal treatment of raw materials, plays a pivotal role in the energy dynamics of cement manufacturing. Simultaneously, the clinker cooler, tasked with cooling the hot clinker discharged from the kiln, offers opportunities for recovering thermal energy. By strategically optimizing these components, the industry can not only reduce energy consumption but also achieve substantial economic and environmental benefits.This abstract encapsulates the imperative need for energy efficiency in the cement manufacturing sector and underscores the significance of optimizing the pyro system and clinker cooler for enhanced energy recovery. The research focuses on strategies to minimize energy loss, drawing insights from recent studies (Ghada et al., 2019; Oyepata et al., 2020) and aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts in the cement industry to adopt sustainable practices, reduce production costs, and mitigate environmental impact.