ABB transform waste heat to clean energy

CO2-free power production improves energy efficiency at Jura Cement’s Wildegg plant

ABB, EKZ GETEC and Jura Cement have signed an agreement that will see the installation of an ABB system to generate power from waste heat at Wildegg cement plant in Switzerland.

The advanced solution is based on ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle), a thermodynamic process that allows waste heat to be converted to ecologically sound electricity.

The temperature in the kilns which produce the cement clinker reaches 1,500°C. Although the waste heat from this process is largely reused at the plant, eg to dry raw materials, a substantial amount of low-temperature gas goes up the stack.

ABB’s ORC power station is an integrated system that will allow this low-grade waste heat to be utilized efficiently.

The ORC process uses and organic fluid with a boiling point lower than water, which allows low-temperature energy sources to generate electric power.

Once the system is in operation, plant energy costs at the Wildegg plant are expected to be reduced dramatically, with Jura Cement purchasing approximately 20% less electricity.

EKZ GETEC are financing the system, which is also being supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Energy as a strategic energy project within its ‘EnergySwitzerland’ programme.

ABB will integrate the new power plant into the cement production process. The turnkey project includes design, project management, delivery, installation and commissioning, and is scheduled to become operational in November 2013.

Marcel Bieri, production manager at Jura Cement, said: ‘We will be able to generate 14,400MWh of electric power using ABB’s waste heat recovery system. That’s enough to satisfy the power demand of about 3,600 Swiss households.’