Cement Energy Environment

74 Energy management is the means to control and reduce any organization’s energy consumption. It is reckoned that Industry uses more energy than any other end-use sector, consuming about one-half of the world’s energy requirement. Controlling and reducing any organization’s energy consumption is important because it enables to reduce costs which increase as energy costs rise. Similarly, it has other aspects also, as under • Reduce carbon emissions, environmental damage, cost-related implications of carbon taxes and carbon footprint to promote a green, sustainable image • Recognition of any company as a “green company” • Reduce risk of energy price increase or supply shortages which seriously affect profitability or even sometimes make it impossible for any business/organization to continue • Improves/increases productivity and can provide the products to customers at minimal cost • Gives competitive advantage to organization/company • Improve operational reliability and control Compressed air costs are normally expressed in Nm³ (at 1.0 bar and 20°C to ISO 6358 or, for many compressor manufacturers, in m³ to ISO 1217:2009, Annex C). These can be determined using the sum of fixed and variable costs and using the annual delivery output of the compressor station Energy management What are the costs of compressed air generation? can translate into significant cost savings. However, companies can only achieve this target by considering the compressed air system as a whole. Similarly, use of Compressed air must be carefully controlled and not abused. Further, cement companies also have to pay heed towards the aspect of energy management. Figure showing calculation of average compressed air costs • Depreciation of the investment made • Interest rate • Space utilization costs • Energy costs over the full-load periods and no-load times of the compressors • Costs of consumables such as oil, coolant etc. p.a. • Maintenance and costs The largest part of the costs, at approx. 75%, is taken up by the energy costs. In order to generate 1 Nm³ of compressed air, modern compressor stations require between 100 and 120 Wh/Nm³ (compressed air index [kWh/Nm³]) Annual (p.a.) fixed costs include Variable costs are made up of Fixed costs Variable costs Average compressed air costs 1,9 ct/Nm 3 Compressor air intake per year In accordance with ISO 1217: 20°C, 1000 mbar + =