Alternative Fuel Use
Increase TSR
Whether a plant’s thermal substitution rate (TSR) is at 10% or 100%, the varying compositions, moisture content, and calorific value of alternative fuels affect the production process and present additional challenges when trying to run efficiently.
Relying on predetermined control processes with stagnant set points leads to inefficiencies in clinker production, maintenance issues and potentially higher emissions if not managed correctly.
Carbon Re’s AI Software adapts process targets in real time to ensure optimal performance based on the real-time conditions in the plant. This ensures that operators can be confident that no matter the fuel mix, the pyroprocess will operate in optimal conditions – giving much-needed flexibility on inputs to the plant without compromising the outputs.
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Optimised Energy Efficiency
Operational Excellence with lower fuel costs
Efficiency in cement production is directly linked to reduced fuel consumption, costs and carbon emissions. Typically, plants either have to invest in expensive and often experimental capital equipment or they need to improve their current process. With profit margins razor thin, or the best available technologies already installed, process improvement wins out. Yet, how can an operator improve their current process effectively when the data they need to use is out of date, either through critical samples not being available in time or complex data analysis taking too long to complete to be effective?
Carbon Re learns from past plant performance to automatically optimise operational variables based on real-time conditions in the plant, enabling the plant to operate consistently in its own top 10% performance, allowing every day to be a peak performance day at a plant.
AI Automation
Autopilot for Process Engineers
Today, most cement plants rely on Advanced Process Control (APCs), which do a fantastic job of controlling a plant stably if they are set up, tuned and well operated. However, the environment that these APCs were developed for has shifted meaningfully.
With added variability in the inputs to the kiln, from alternative fuel and alternative material consumption, as well as equipment upgrades made to improve the plant, it is now significantly more challenging to control the cement production process stably, year-on-year and continue to get the same consistency in clinker quality.
Carbon Re delivers high-performing AI models and recommenders designed to improve quality control and ensure efficient fuel consumption even in the face of variability. By leveraging more data points across the entire plant, and with cloud-hosted models, Carbon Re continuously identifies and adapts to the state of the plant. By enabling this real-time optimisation, Carbon Re relieves process engineers of tedious manual optimisations giving them more time to solve more valuable problems for the plant.
Decarbonisation
Reduce CO2 emissions
The cement industry is under increased pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, with carbon taxes, regulations, and a market demanding sustainable alternatives.
Today, the industry is scaling proven solutions such as alternative fuels, SCMs, and energy efficiency measures to tackle this challenge. In the future, emerging technologies such as carbon capture and electrified or hydrogen kilns are predicted to be impactful. However, all these technologies raise issues related to the control of the kiln.
Cement plants are set up to be efficient by having relatively stable inputs and outputs. The added complexity from changing inputs caused by these decarbonisation solutions requires a control system that can adapt in real-time enabling peak plant performance.
Carbon Re understands this and uses AI models to provide this control, allowing plants to be proactive to the inputs they face and giving the reduction of CO2 the cement industry needs.
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