WASTE HEAT RECOVERY (WHR)

According to the 2021 data presented in the General Energy Balance Table produced by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the total energy consumption of all industries amounted to 123,144,000 TOE, of which 41,614,000 TOE was consumed by manufacturing industries. The sectoral benchmarking study conducted by the Department of Energy Efficiency and Environment (EVÇED) under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources stated that the cement sector, which consumed 7,692,000 TOE in 2021, accounts for 6.25% of total energy consumption and 18.48% of the consumption in the manufacturing sector.

Minimizing the energy required to produce a unit of product is one of the most important goals in ensuring the sustainability of energy-intensive industrial enterprises. In the cement sector, which is the second largest energy consumer in the manufacturing sector, 80% of the costs are related to energy consumption. As an energy-intensive industry, therefore, the cement sector adopts energy efficiency as a principle, both for sustainability and the reduction of energy consumption at a national level, in line with environmental policies. In this regard, our industries are gradually increasing their investments into waste heat recovery plants, comprising phased preheating towers located before the kiln inlet and cooling units at the outlet of the kiln both preheating, as a result of which, the heat produced by both preheating and clinker cooling is emitted through the stack and can be converted into electricity. The Turkish Cement Manufacturers' Association – the umbrella organization of the sector – has prepared various publications in the past and held informative seminars with its stakeholders with a view to both increasing the awareness of its members and ensuring the promotion of alternative investments in technical and economic terms. It has, thus, demonstrated its support of the promotion of investments in waste heat recovery plants, which has been adopted as an efficiency method. WHR facilities can meet up to 30% of the total electricity needs of a cement factory, thus reducing the energy consumed, increasing supply security, conserving resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the abandonment of fossil fuels in energy production. In addition, the ability to control the risk of large hikes in energy prices, minimizing energy losses related to on-site production and on-site consumption, and reducing the need to invest in lines are other advantages of waste heat recovery facility investments. Waste heat recovery plants, the feasibility of which are generally based on sub-headings such as raw material moisture, electricity price, cement consumption, country policies and strategies, and energy supply security, have a total installed capacity of 154,5MW with 26 lines in 17 factories as of the end of 2023. This figure corresponds to the daily electricity consumption of approximately 618.000 households. Investments into two further factories that will generate 15 MW electricity in two lines, are planned to be completed in the next few years. Feasibility studies are continuing in 4 more factories for production of 18.5 MW over a total of 5 lines.These figures indicate that plants put into operation will generate 46.8% of the total installed capacity (330 MW) envisaged for electricity generated from waste heat.

If plants that can generate the remaining 175,5 MWcan be put into operation, some 2 million MWh of additional energy will be generated annually, removing the need for a new power plant. In this way, the energy equivalent of the daily electricity consumption of approximately 1.3 million households will be saved. It should be noted, therefore, that the hot gas energy released into the atmosphere as a result of the process has major potential in reducing the need for the construction of new power plants in response to the increasing energy demands of our country.

 

Last Updated: 29 November 2024