Connect with us

Economy & Market

Designing Green Cement Plants

Published

on

Shares

SP Deolakar explains the concept of greenhouse gases, talks of sustainable development and how all these issues should be handled with respect to the manufacture of cement, in his new book Designing Green Cement Plants.Pradeep Kapoor reviews the book.

In recent years, a lot of attention is being focused on manufacturing cement in an even more environment friendly manner. Efforts are being made for reducing the adverse effects of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, and for ensuring development in a sustainable manner. In the years to come, this issue is likely to attract a lot more attention from the policy makers and the general populace, too. It will become practically impossible to construct new cement plants or to operate existing plants unless they meet the civil society’s requirements of sustainable development and low generation of greenhouse gases. Designers, manufacturers and operators of cement plants will have to understand this subject and its implications, and equip themselves to fulfill the requirements of the emerging statutory regulations and the requirements of civil society.

Keeping this requirement in mind, SP Deolalkar’s Designing Green Cement Plants is a timely and welcome publication, which brings under one cover, all the relevant issues associated with this very important and very sensitive subject.

The author has explained the concept of greenhouse gases, of sustainable development and how all these issues should be handled with respect to the manufacture of cement, in a most coherent manner…

The book is divided into eleven sections, with each section having a number of chapters. Each section deals with a particular aspect of a green cement plant and the various chapters of each section go into sufficient details to enable the reader to fully understand the subject. ASII- relevant issues like blended cements, raw materials, alternate fuels, waste heat recovery systems, cement substitutes, etc, have all been covered. The book also contains chapters on capital costs and costs of production associated with green cement plants. An interesting chapter is on Carbon Capture and Storage System in which the author discusses future possibilities anchored in technologies already developed or under development. It is evident that with the passage of time, regulatory requirements would become increasingly stiff and such futuristic technologies would become integral part of cement plants.

The author, SP Deolalkar, has spent his entire professional life designing, manufacturing, installing and operating cement plants. The wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that he has garnered in a lifetime has been distilled into this brilliantly produced and eminently readable book. Actually, this is a must read book for anybody connected with designing, manufacturing, operating modern cement plants anywhere in the world. It is a worthy successor to the author’s first book, Handbook for Designing Cement Plants.

Book reviewed by: Pradeep Kapoor, Former Managing Director & CEO, FL Smidth. Former Vice Chairman/Managing Director/CEO, ABG Cement.

About the author

Deolalkar is a first class graduate in Mech. and Elect. Engineering. He is also a Graduate of the British Institute of Management. He joined the Associated Cement Companies, in 1956 and has been associated with the cement industry ever since, a long innings of over 50 years. He has had firsthand working experience in cement plants, in the operation, erection and commissioning of new plants. He later worked with ACC-Vickers-Babcock, a subsidiary of ACC engaged in manufacture of Babcock boilers and cement machinery. Since 1986, Deolalkar has been working as a consultant, first as a Chief Executive of Bhagwati Priya Consulting Engineers , and later for Deolalkar Consultants, a proprietary consultancy company in Hyderabad. Deolalkar was associated with a number of institutions related to the cement industry at the national level like the Bureau of Indian Standards (earlier known as ISI), National Committee for Science and Technology and National Council for Cement and Building Materials. He was a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the NCCBM. In 2008, he wrote his first book Handbook for Designing Cement Plants. It was well received by the cement industry. His second book, Nomograms for Design and Operation of Cement Plants was a sequel to his first book and is complementary to it.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Concrete

Festive optimism

Published

on

By

Shares

As we transition into the festive season, it is crucial to take stock of the current state of India’s key infrastructure sector. August saw a 1.8 per cent contraction, largely attributed to excessive rainfall in many parts of the country, impacting several industries, including cement. The cement sector registered a 3 per cent decline in August 2024, compared to the same period last year, which had seen robust growth of 19.7 per cent, leading to what analysts call a high base effect, as per news reports. Despite this, there remains optimism as we approach the latter part of the year, with industry players anticipating demand revival by the end of Q3.
The evolving dynamics of the cement industry paint an interesting picture. Once dominated by regional and local players, the market has seen significant consolidation, with large companies taking the lead. These larger corporations, with their extensive reach and deep pockets, are strategically shifting focus toward non-trade segments, specifically targeting bulk buyers such as large contractors and infrastructure projects. This shift underscores the importance of India’s infrastructure-led growth focus, further solidified by government-backed projects.
However, the road ahead isn’t without challenges. While non-trade demand is expected to rise after the monsoon, it brings the dilemma of lower margins, potentially putting pressure on cement prices. We witnessed a price hike of Rs.10-20 per bag across regions in August, with more hikes expected in October, ranging from `5-15. Yet, there is uncertainty about whether these increases will hold, especially as market dynamics continue to evolve.
As we celebrate Diwali, I wish all our readers prosperity and success in navigating these changing tides. The coming months will be pivotal, and we look forward to a promising revival across the sector.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Holcim for decarbonisation

Published

on

By

Shares

Holcim has invested in Sublime Systems to expand its range of solutions to decarbonise the construction industry. The partnership will advance Sublime’s first commercial manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, US, giving Holcim a large share of Sublime Cement produced there through a binding offtake reservation. Sublime’s first commercial-scale plant is set to start production in 2026 with a capacity of 30,000t/yr.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Holcim to invest in new energy initiatives

Published

on

By

Shares

Holcim is investing in new energy initiatives at its Mannersdorf cement plant to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. The company plans to install a €10 million clinker cooler system, which aims to cut heat consumption and decrease CO2 emissions by 18,000 tonnes annually, with completion expected in early 2025.
Additionally, a large-scale photovoltaic system will be operational by 2025, covering about 15 per cent of the plant’s energy needs and further reducing CO2 emissions by 12,700 tonnes per year. This solar project includes 2.7 MW of solar panels installed at the site of the former chimney on the premises. Plant manager Helmut Reiterer emphasised the importance of sustainability and decarbonisation, stating that the company is focusing on energy-efficient production through machinery

 

Continue Reading

Trending News

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

 

Don't miss out on valuable insights and opportunities to connect with like minded professionals.

 


    This will close in 0 seconds