Waste heat for cement production in PakistanFauji Cement Company is well renowned for its efficient cement production in Jhang Bahtar, in the province of Punjab in Pakistan with an annual total production capacity of 3.3 million tons of cement. During the production of cement, a lot of heat is generated. To not let this energy go to waste and to reduce CO2 emissions, the project has installed three heat recovery steam generators. They convert the waste heat, that would normally have been emitted into the atmosphere, into energy. The generated power is directly used for the cement-producing kiln and substitutes fossil fuel-fed electricity from the grid. The project, therefore, alleviates the demand pressure on the national power system and is expected to generate 54,696 MWh of electricity per year.
The project also makes a valuable contribution to sustainable development: Economic growth rates in Pakistan are insufficient to accommodate the one million young people who enter the workforce every year, making projects such as this one vital because it creates employment opportunities for local community members.
How waste heat recovery contributes to climate actionFor many industrial and manufacturing processes large amounts of heat are required. After the use, the heat energy – called waste heat – mainly escapes into the environment despite its potential for further use. Waste heat can be used productively within the same industrial process or elsewhere in a company. Thus, enterprises can not only save energy and emissions but also money.
Depending on the infrastructure, it is possible to include energy consumers in the surrounding area, generate electricity or use the energy for cooling systems. To generate electricity from waste heat, there are different technologies available, for example efficient steam processes. Here, an electricity generator is coupled to a steam turbine which is driven by water vapor. Thus, self-generated electricity from waste heat replaces energy from the local grid, which is often generated with fossil fuels. Waste heat recovery projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
