China's Conch Group Develops Technology to Harness Power from Waste Heat from Cement Production

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Anhui Conch Group Company Limited (Wuhu, China), one of the largest cement producers in China, has developed a high-efficient, low-temperature technology for waste-heat power generation. With the adoption of this advanced technology, 38 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity can be saved in the production of each metric ton of cement chamotte, the Economic Commission of Anhui Province announced on April 3, 2008.

During the process of cement production, a large quantity of waste gas at about 200 degrees Celsius is discharged into the atmosphere, not only wasting energy but also polluting the environment. In response to the nation's policy on energy conservation and emissions reduction, the Conch Group worked with related manufacturers in China and abroad to develop the technology.

As of the end of 2007, the group had invested $214 million in low-temperature waste-heat power projects. So far, 14 units with a total installed capacity of 190 megawatts (MW) have been built in eight of its subsidiaries. Upon completion of these projects, the annual power output could reach 1.3 billion kWh and reduce more than $85 million in energy costs for the enterprise every year. Based on this calculation, the investment can be recovered within two and half years. In addition, compared with conventional thermal power, these projects could save about 720,000 metric tons of coal and reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 1.5 million metric tons every year. The Conch Group is also planning to equip all of its cement-production lines with the new technology and expand its total installed capacity of waste-heat power to 500 MW by the end of 2008.

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