Waste heat recovery project at Rüdersdorf
CEMEX further progress carbon-neutral plans for German cement plant with waste heat recovery project
CEMEX have made a further advancement in their efforts to achieve carbon neutrality at their Rüdersdorf cement plant by 2030. The latest partnership in the Carbon Neutral Alliance will see the implementation of a waste heat recovery system at the site in Germany.
This waste heat recovery project, conducted in partnership with energy-efficiency solutions providers Orcan Energy, is said to represent a key milestone on the road to climate neutrality, as it will contribute significantly to reduced energy-related emissions well before 2030.
The system will allow CEMEX to use part of the waste heat potential of the cement plant’s clinker cooler gases for electricity generation. To facilitate this, a heat exchanger will be installed in the pipeline downstream of the clinker cooler filter so that water is heated and then fed to six Orcan Energy ORC modules for electricity generation. This CO2-free electricity can then be fed into the plant grid and cover part of the site’s own energy demand.
Commissioning of the plant, which is 50% subsidised by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is planned for summer 2022.
Sergio Menendez, president of CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia, commented: ‘Efforts to achieve carbon neutrality at our Rüdersdorf cement plant by 2030 continue apace, and this project to install a waste heat recovery system is the latest significant milestone in our journey, further demonstrating the value of forming expert alliances to investigate and then implement innovative technologies that will ensure the decarbonization of our operation.’
Dr Andreas Sichert, chief executive officer and co-founder of Orcan Energy, added: ‘After working with several family-owned companies in the cement industry, we are proud to have been selected by global cement company CEMEX as a partner for waste heat recovery.
‘With our efficiency packs, we will make a simple but significant contribution to avoiding CO2 emissions and generating low-cost green electricity from waste heat at Germany's largest cement plant. We look forward to this plant design being rolled out globally.’
