Advanced process control for new Indian cement plant
ABB to install electrification and intelligent automation systems at new cement plant in India
BIRLA Corporation subsidiary RCCPL will employ ABB Ability Expert Optimizer and other digital technologies to maximize production at their new cement plant in Mukutban, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
ABB will supply RCCPL with the advanced process control solution for controlling, stabilizing and optimizing industrial processes, allow the cement producer to increase production, minimize carbon footprint and reduce fuel consumption to meet energy usage goals.
Birla Corp. currently produce cement at seven locations in India with a combined capacity of nearly 15.5 million tonnes per annum. The new 3.9 million tonnes per year greenfield plant in Mukutban is about 400km north of Mumbai and incorporates a 40MW captive power plant and a 10.6MW heat-recovery system.
ABB will also provide the new cement plant with electrification infrastructure items such as MV switchgear with MV relays on IEC 61850 communication and LV switchgear with ABB UMC100.3 intelligent motor controllers that combine intelligent motor protection and control functions and fieldbus communication, and fault diagnosis in a single device.
The ABB digital solutions and electrification products will be integrated with ABB Ability System 800xA, a distributed control system (DCS) and electrical control system. This safety system and collaboration enabler has the capacity to improve engineering efficiency, operator performance and asset utilization.
ABB Ability Expert Optimizer uses linear and non-linear model predictive control and neural networks to manage critical plant components, including kiln, alternative fuels, mills, and blending.
It can find the best operating conditions to maximize output and can immediately detect deviations among various processes in cement production. This capability is backed by the remote ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Centre support, from where experts continually monitor the system for any abnormality and can help retune the system remotely for new process conditions.
‘Early involvement in the development of this greenfield project means we can bring a holistic approach to the design of the complete system,’ said Krishnadas Manjaparra, business head of industrial automation process industries for South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, at ABB.
‘We have been able to draw from our strong portfolio of automation and electrification products and solutions and bring varied insights from our years of experience working with small operators, global players and the turnkey execution of large projects.
‘We have an established track record in India where more than half of cement plants already run with the ABB automation systems and which ensure maximum efficiency and run consistently shift to shift, irrespective of operator expertise.
‘What makes us unique is also our newly launched ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Centre in India that allows us to provide operations support during the post-commissioning life cycle of the plant, to keep the productivity and efficiency at peak levels continuously.’
ABB Ability Expert Optimizer is part of the ABB Ability CementOptimize portfolio of digitally connected products, services and solutions that allow modern cement plants to maximize visibility, reliability, productivity and energy efficiency and optimize performance.
