Economy & Market

Cooler Market Heats Up!

Published

5 years ago

October 19, 2021

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Cement being a continuous industry, the pyro section that runs 24/7 is the process part which is a non-stop operation. Though the cooler appears to be fairly simple but the operational part is more difficult when the capacity of a plant goes up.

It is a common practice in the industry to enhance the capacity of the kiln after a certain period of time when the plant stabilises. The problem arises when the engineers try to augment the capacity of a cooler with that of enhanced capacity of a kiln. The job becomes even more difficult when the space is limited. However with the support from cooler suppliers and after the selection of a right consultant, the job can be done. Retrofitting of cooler is quite often undertaken at a number of plants. (Refer to the article by ERCOM Engineers in this feature) Few leading manufacturers of coolers are FLSmidth, IKN (Ingenieurbnro Knhlerbau Neustadt), CemProTec, Claudius Peters, KHD Humboldt Wedag, ThyssenKrupp Polysius AG and FONS Technology. Major differences lie in the manner in which material is conveyed over the grates, the mode of aeration and the solid-gas heat exchange, the type and presence of self-regulating valves for airflow and the hydraulic system for moving parts.

Jayant Saha, a consultant having a vast experience with coolers, says, "The clinker cooler becomes a major bottleneck to support capacity upgradation. Almost all capacity upgradation projects involve increment in the capacity of existing coolers. Even with some extent of compromise with clinker temperature increase at cooler outlet, extra grate area requirement comes out to approximately 50-60 per cent for upgradation in existing calciner kiln system. For upgradation of older SP plants, the cooler grate area increment goes to even 150 per cent. Grate area can be increased only if free area is available within the cooler itself or by extending cooler longitudinally or by both methods. In most of the cases, the existing layout limits the cooler expansion and thus limits the upgradation scope. It is always advisable to keep a provision in the layout for cooler expansion, by keeping a little longer horizontal length for clinker pan conveyor."

Saha further says that though there are many types of coolers for cooling the clinker, the state-of-the-art coolers are either grate coolers or cross bar coolers. As cooling is a heat-transmission process, cooling efficiency is greatly dependent on the temperature difference between the two media, i.e., air and clinker.

In the course of rapid development in coolers in recent years, new generations of grate coolers have come into the market. In fact, it is little difficult to keep a track of the current cooler generation. However, little improvements have been made with regards to cooler efficiency and the cooling principle. At the same time, the grate load has typically been increased from approximately 40 to 50 t/d clinker per m2, considering the same clinker temperature, though the widely accepted value is about 45.

However good choice you make to erect a good cooler, the way in which it is operated is equally important. Here a process engineer plays a very important role. Snow man, Red River and jamming are some of the problems faced in cooler operation. These are process-related issues for which a good process engineering knowledge is necessary. The raw meal design has its impact on cooler operation.

Cooler optimisation can be carried out by maintaining:
-Maximum possible clinker residence time in the cooler to achieve the best possible distribution of clinker and cooling air. The clinker retention time in the cooler is determined by the grate surface loading and clinker bed depth;
-Proper cooling air flow distribution;
-Proper tuned PID controller (grate speed vis-a-vis under grate pressure) plays an important role.

Suchismita of ERCOM says that the efficiency of the cooler depends on its ability to recover the heat from the clinker entering the cooler, and cooling the clinker. The cooler also fulfills the key role of transporting the clinker away from the kiln in a reliable manner.

Saha writes, the cooler also provides hot air to be used in waste heat recovery system (WHRS). The steam turbine-based waste heat recovery boilers (WHRB) are placed between the cooler and the de-dusting system. Depending on situations/requirements, various configurations are considered. If no modification is made to the cooler and the excess gas is ducted from the cooler exit to the WHRB, then the vent fan should have enough margins to take care of the pressure drop in the heat recovery boiler.

The upgradation of cooler is a purely an engineering job requiring correct inputs about the existing status and the expected results.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

3 days ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

4 days ago

October 8, 2026

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA,
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

Published

5 days ago

October 7, 2026

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UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.