Cement, Energy and Environment

, , ~- CBM IN INDIA: A BUDDING ASSET Mr. B. N. Prasad, Head, Goa/bed Methane Cell, Central Mine Planning & Design Institute. Ltd. India, having the fourth largest proven coal reserves in the world, holds significant prospects for exploration and exploitation of CBM. Going by the CMPDI estimates, the CBM resource in the country is 3.4 Trillian Cubic Metres (TCM). There is, therefore, a huge opportunity for potential CBM investors in India. The exploration carried out by various operators in the state of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh reveals that Gondwana coals have excellent CBM potential that can be harnessed commercially with the induction of appropriate technology. Commercial production of CBM has already commenced in Rani ganj (South} CBM block in West Bengal. Efforts are also being made in Sohagpur block in Madhya Pradesh and Jharia block in Jharkhand for commencement of commercial production at the earliest. From a current level of a total CBM production of 0.15 MMSCMD in the country, it is expected to go up to 7.4 MMSCMD by the year 2013. Courtesy: energetica India. March/Apri/2010, P42. PREPARING NEW GROUND s art1cle first appeared in ernational Cement Review in cember 2009 and is reprinted with kind permission of Tradeship Publications Ltd. United Kingdom. Email: info@CemNet.com Wetsite: www. CemNet. c~·m The switch to alternative fuels has prompted new practices in fuel quality control to enable cement manufacturers to get the most out of the different energy sources. One key element in this approach is sample preparation of heterogenous mixtures. Reisch GmbH. Germany Due to decreasing resources and climbing market prices for primary fuels like oil, gas or coal, it is paramount for the cement to search for alternative energy sources. With regard to the C0 2 emissions trading, a switch to energy sources which have a neutral C0 2 balance can be rather profitable. Typically, are non– fossil fuels. Industries with high energy consumption have made increasing use of alternative fuels during recent years. Accordingly, the use of secondary fuels (also waste- derived fuels/wdf or refuse– derived fuels/rdf) has gained importance. These are mostly combustible fractions of domestic or industrial waste which cannot be recycled. Control of the C0 2 emission and the prevention of the release of pollutants are important objectives. Beside these environmental issues, the plant operators also have to take care of commercial aspects, most importantly, to derive as much energy as possible from the secondary fuel. Consequently, an extensive quality control of secondary fuels is crucial. Analyses to evaluate the quality of secondary fuels include the determination of calorific value, residual humidity and contamination with pollutants. Depending on the 5 1