Waste heat recovery for the cement sector
Waste-heat recovery involves capturing the excess heat of an industrial process and using it to generate electric power. The technology can be used in a number of heavy industries, including steel and chemicals, but has not been applied extensively outside of China despite its potential to increase energy efficiency and mitigate climate change. Of the more than 850 waste-heat recovery installations in the cement industry globally, China has 739, followed by India with 26 and Japan with 24. A report by the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Institute for Industrial Productivity (IIP) says cement plants can supply up to 30% of their own electricity needs through the waste-heat recovery process and thereby improve their bottom line by up to 10-15%.