The Pendulum Swing

In the ever-evolving landscape of cement production, replacing outdated satellite clinker coolers represents a dynamic step toward greater efficiency and sustainability. Once favoured for their simplicity and capacity, these ageing technologies now struggle to meet the industry's modern demands for energy efficiency and lower emissions.

Leading this development is IKN's Pendulum Cooler, a technology designed to minimise energy consumption by maximising heat recovery and therefore significantly reducing CO₂ emissions while requiring minimal maintenance efforts.

Additionally, its adaptable design allows for seamless integration into existing facilities, even in constrained spaces. This ensures minimal disruption during the installation process and helps plants to optimise performance without significant downtime.

Part 1: The case for replacing satellite coolers

The cement industry faces increasing pressure to optimise operations and meet sustainability goals. Upgrading clinker cooler systems with IKN Pendulum Coolers offers cement producers an opportunity to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and meet environmental expectations set by governments and communities.

Economic advantages: fuel savings and energy efficiency

Energy costs are among the largest operational expenses for cement plants. Satellite coolers, with their outdated designs, waste valuable energy that could otherwise be captured and utilised. The Pendulum Coolers directly address this inefficiency, saving approximately 60 kcal per kg of clinker produced.

For a plant producing 3000 tpd this leads to:

• 753 GJ of energy saved daily, or around 248 000 GJ annually (based on 330 operational days).

At a fuel cost of approximately €3 per GJ, these energy savings result in:

• Daily cost savings of €2260.
• Annual fuel cost reductions of approximately €750 000.

This significant reduction in operational expenses highlights the tangible economic impact of upgrading tan existing satellite or drum cooler. Such savings not only improve profitability but also provide a quick return on investment.

Environmental benefits: reduced CO₂ emissions

Energy efficiency also translates into reduced carbon emissions, aligning with the industry's sustainability goals. For every 1 GJ of energy saved, approximately 0.093 t of CO₂ are avoided. Using the same example:

• Daily CO₂ savings amount to around 70 t.
• Annually, this reduces CO₂ emissions by approximately 23 000 t for the plant.

Lower emissions are increasingly critical as governments and regulatory bodies implement stricter environmental standards. Plants adopting Pendulum Coolers not only reduce their carbon footprint but also enhance their reputation as environmentally responsible operations.

Economic advantages of reduced CO2 emissions

For cement producers operating within Europe, the financial benefits of reducing CO₂ emissions are amplified by the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Under this system, producers are allocated a certain number of free allowances based on benchmarks for efficient production.

However, when these free allowances are insufficient to cover total emissions, producers must purchase additional CO₂ certificates. With free allowances deemed to be reduced to zero in the near future, this creates a strong motivation to adopt measures such as converting outdated satellite coolers to modern clinker cooler systems, which significantly reduce emissions.

For a 3000 tpd production line, annual CO₂ savings of approximately 23 000 t translate into tangible economic gains. With CO₂ certificates averaging €83.66 per t in 2023 (as per EEX report).

This additional aspect not only strengthens the business case for a satellite cooler conversion, but also highlights the strategic value of reducing emissions in a market increasingly shaped by environmental regulations and carbon trading incentives.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/21022025/the-pendulum-swing/