Concrete

Importance of TSR

Published

12 months ago

March 11, 2025

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Procyon Mukherjee discusses the importance of the thermal substitution rate in the use of alternative fuels in the first part of this two-part series.

It was 22nd October 2019, and we were in Wuhan, visiting the world’s largest kiln that was being installed with the design-TSR of 60 per cent, which meant from the inception the system would be ready to take in higher quantity of RDF, largely from the municipal wastes generated at Wuhan. The overall schema included several co-processing units near Wuhan and then the eventual logistics of moving them through barges on the Yangtse river and then through pipelines into the different sections of the kiln and the pre-heater. We were quite astonished to see that it was the municipality of Wuhan who came forward with the entire scheme including logistics that helped the setting up of the plant – essentially a means for incineration of the entire municipal waste of Wuhan.
The rest of the world may not have such a denouement, rather a step-by-step approach of increasing the TSR, with more and more usage of alternate fuels. Thus, in most cases it is an incremental approach, the investments included. It is worthwhile to look at the journey of alternate fuel usage in cement kilns across the world over the last three decades and what are some of the critical investment pathways for increasing TSR.
The first major use of alternative fuels in the cement manufacturing industry emerged during the mid-1980s. The primary goal in substituting fossil fuels was to enable the industry to remain economically competitive, as fuel consumption accounts for almost one-third of the cost of producing clinker. Any positive impact on the environment was considered an added benefit. Since then, there has been increasing sensitivity to the environmental impact of human and industrial activities. Beyond the cost-cutting benefits of alternative fuels, use of these fuels can contribute greatly to the environmentally sound disposal of waste and to the mitigation of greenhouse-gas emissions (GHG).
Therefore, key cement players started to consider alternative fuels as a lever to improve their contribution to sustainable development and as a key component of corporate social responsibility.
The data in the bracket is the current number for TSR. The obvious case in point is the stratospheric increase in TSR rates in Poland. This needs some discussion. The case study on Poland throws some pointers as to how the journey from zero to 88 per cent has been achieved. The notable steps have been:
1. The willingness of Polish cement companies to reduce their operating costs by quickly replicating the alternative fuel experience of international cement groups
2. The enforcement of Polish waste regulations in order to conform to relevant European

Union directives, namely the Waste Framework Directive, the Waste Incineration Directive and the Landfill Directive.
The second one is one of the fundamental reasons to drive the use of alternate fuel. The journey had its humble beginnings with a small state tax imposed on land fill waste (which was collected from the same people who produced the waste) and then the increase of this tax over time, with the transfer of responsibility of waste collection to the land fill operators. Parallelly the ‘extended producer responsibility’ sparked off the implementation of the first waste shredding line to produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
In 2005, Germany adopted a ban on the landfilling of recyclable and organic waste, leading to overproduction of RDF. Poland’s shift toward alternative fuel development based on RDF was thus supported by importation of the fuel from Germany for five years, before Germany increased its own waste burning capacity. At that point, the alternative fuel substitution rate in Poland reached 20 percent. In 2008, the state tax was increased sharply, climbing from €4 per tonne in 2007 to about €17 per tonne, with a further doubling announced within the next 10 years. The enforcement of this tax for municipal waste incited waste management companies to invest in alternative solutions.
At that point, shredding line operators were sourcing waste from the industrial sector (obtaining good-quality waste for a low gate fee) as well as from the municipal waste sector, with large cities being the main providers. The extension of sourcing to include municipal waste resulted in a degree of downgrading of RDF quality, but the cement sector continued the effort and pushed the substitution rate to 40 per cent in 2010.
Once the capacity of RDF production lines reached an equilibrium with the alternative fuel capacity of cement plants, the cement companies were able to pressure RDF producers to further improve the fuel quality. To face this new demand, RDF producers had to innovate, improving the quality of the RDF significantly through better sorting and drying sequences (thermal or biological). In parallel, the cement plants developed new tools to improve drying, such as by installing thermal dryers that used the waste heat from the kilns. A new increase to the state tax then put more waste on the market—and at a better price—confirming the trend toward alternative fuel use.
But the crucial area of investment remained how to arrest the pitfalls of high RDF usage in the kilns as there were issues around chlorine, kiln operational stability, enabling the efficient use of diverse and often challenging fuel types, integration of the system with usage of multiple fuels including diverse alternate fuels and monitoring and control. It is in this regard that several specific investments had to be targeted. The lead in this was taken by Germany and followed by all others to see how increase in thermal substitution rates did not come in the way of either impacting the efficiencies or the environment and efforts were directed to create not only a balance but a way to get to 100 per cent of alternate fuel usage, virtually paving the way for 100 per cent TSR.
Some of the most commonly used alternative fuels in the cement industry are biomass, industrial and domestic waste materials, scrap tires, and sewage sludge. The high temperatures, long residence times, and alkaline environment in the cement kiln can prevent the formation of hazardous volatile compounds, making it a suitable option for co-processing waste materials as alternative fuels during cement production. Although the substitution of fossil fuels such as coal and pet coke with alternative fuels can potentially reduce total CO2 emissions from the cement industry, the reduction potentials are often marginal (in the range of 1- 5 per cent for most cases and up to 18 per cent of current CO2 emissions in a few cases) and depend on the source of biogenic emissions. Moreover, due to higher concentrations of sulphur, nitrogen, chlorine, heavy metals, or other volatile matter in some alternative fuels, co-processing can increase emissions of non-CO2 air pollutants of concern in some cases. Thus, an eye on not increasing the emissions (not just CO2 but also SOX and NOX) became a priority. This required investments over time as the RDF usage increased.
Let us see some of these investments in details, like Chlorine By-Pass, Rotating Hot Disc, ID Fan Modification, ESP Fan Modification, etc would be needed the moment the TSR rates would be approaching plus 30 per cent:
1. Chlorine by-pass: This investment is directed at mitigating and protecting a number of
things like:

Managing chlorine build-up
– Alternative fuels like waste-derived fuels often contain high levels of chlorine. This can lead to an accumulation of alkali chlorides in the kiln system.
– Chlorine build-up can cause operational problems, such as the formation of buildups or rings in the kiln and preheater systems, disrupting the material flow and reducing efficiency.
Improving kiln operation stability: High chlorine content can lead to corrosion and fouling of equipment. By removing excess chlorine, the system operates more stably and with fewer maintenance interruptions.
Protecting product quality: Excess chlorine can impact the clinker quality, leading to undesirable properties in the cement. The bypass system helps maintain consistent and high-quality clinker production.
Facilitating use of diverse fuels: Many alternative fuels, such as municipal solid waste, industrial waste, or tires, are economical but contain high chlorine levels. The bypass system enables cement plants to use these fuels without compromising efficiency
or quality.
Reducing environmental impact: Chlorine in the kiln system can lead to the formation of dioxins and furans, which are harmful pollutants. By extracting chlorine from the system, the bypass reduces the risk of these emissions.
How the system works:
The chlorine bypass system extracts a portion of the kiln gas from a specific point (often the kiln inlet) where the alkali chlorides are in a gaseous form. These gases are cooled rapidly to condense and separate the chlorides, which are then collected and disposed of appropriately.

There are eight components of the system:

Gas extraction system

Function: Extracts a portion of kiln gases from a strategic location, typically near the kiln inlet where volatile alkali chlorides are in gaseous form.

Key components:
– Gas ducts with high-temperature resistance.
– Dampers to control the volume of extracted gas.

Rapid cooling system

Function: Quickly cools the extracted hot gases to condense alkali chlorides and other volatiles, preventing them from recirculating into the kiln system.
Key components:
– Water sprays or air quenching systems for
rapid cooling.
– Heat exchangers, if heat recovery is integrated.

Cyclones or bag filters

Function: Separates condensed alkali chlorides and dust from the cooled gas stream.
Key components:
– High-efficiency cyclones for coarse particle separation.
– Bag filters or electrostatic precipitators for fine particle removal.

Disposal system for collected byproducts

Function: Safely manages and disposes of extracted chlorides and dust.
Key components:

– Conveyors or pneumatic transport systems.
– Silos or containment units for storage before disposal.

Bypass gas cooling and conditioning system

Function: Further conditions the bypass gas before reintegration into the system or venting.
Key components:

– Cooling towers or gas conditioning towers.
– Water injection systems for temperature control.

Control and automation system

Function: Monitors and optimises the bypass system to ensure it operates efficiently and safely.
Key components:

– Sensors for temperature, pressure, and chlorine content.
– Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for real-time adjustments.

Heat recovery system (optional)

Function: Captures waste heat from the bypass gases for use in other processes, improving energy efficiency.
Key components:

– Heat exchangers.
– Steam generators or preheaters.

Integration with main kiln system

Function: Ensures that the bypass system operates in harmony with the kiln process without disrupting clinker production or fuel efficiency.
Key components:

– Ducts and valves for gas reintegration or venting.
– Interfaces with kiln control systems.

2. Combustion chamber hot disc
The installation of a combustion chamber (hot disc) in cement kilns for alternate fuel installations serves several critical purposes, enabling the efficient use of diverse and often challenging fuel types. Here’s a breakdown of its key roles:

Efficient combustion of alternative fuels

The hot disc provides a dedicated zone for the complete combustion of alternate fuels, including those with varying calorific values, moisture content, and particle sizes.
This ensures that even low-grade or coarse fuels (e.g., tires, municipal solid waste, biomass, or industrial waste) can be burned effectively.

Improved heat transfer

The combustion chamber is designed to optimise heat generation and transfer, supplying the kiln with the necessary thermal energy.
It reduces reliance on primary fossil fuels like coal or petcoke, lowering operating costs.

Reduced emissions

Proper combustion in the hot disc minimises the release of harmful emissions, such as carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and unburned hydrocarbons.
This helps the cement plant meet environmental regulations and sustainability goal
Enhanced kiln operation stability
Burning alternative fuels in the combustion chamber isolates their impact from the main kiln, ensuring stable temperatures and operation within the kiln.
It minimises disruptions caused by the inconsistent burning behaviour of alternative fuels.

Handling difficult fuels

The hot disc is specifically designed to process fuels that are challenging to handle in the main kiln or calciner, such as large solid fuels (e.g., tires or large biomass pieces).
The chamber’s design accommodates prolonged fuel residence time and high temperatures, ensuring complete combustion.

Optimised energy efficiency

By burning alternate fuels close to the kiln inlet or calciner, the hot disc provides pre-heated gases to the kiln system, improving energy efficiency.
It contributes to a more uniform temperature profile, enhancing clinker quality.

Increased use of waste-derived fuels

Many cement plants aim to increase their Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR)—the percentage of energy derived from alternative fuels. The hot disc facilitates this transition by enabling higher volumes and more diverse types of alternate fuels to be used safely and efficiently.

Overall benefits
The hot disc system allows cement plants to:

Reduce dependency on fossil fuels
Lower operational costs
Improve sustainability by using waste as a resource
Comply with stricter environmental regulations.

Rotating hot disc

Function: The central component where alternative fuels, such as coarse solids (e.g., tires, plastics, or biomass), are introduced and combusted.

Key features:

Rotating design for even fuel distribution.

– High-temperature resistance to handle intense combustion conditions.
– Adjustable speed to optimise fuel combustion time and efficiency.

Fuel feed system

Function: Delivers alternative fuels to the hot disc in a controlled manner.
Key components:

– Conveyors, pneumatic systems, or screw feeders for fuel transport.
– Chutes or injection systems for precise fuel placement.
– Hoppers or silos for storage of alternate fuels before feeding.

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Concrete

Refractory demands in our kiln have changed

Published

18 hours ago

February 20, 2026

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Radha Singh, Senior Manager (P&Q), Shree Digvijay Cement, points out why performance, predictability and life-cycle value now matter more than routine replacement in cement kilns.

As Indian cement plants push for higher throughput, increased alternative fuel usage and tighter shutdown cycles, refractory performance in kilns and pyro-processing systems is under growing pressure. In this interview, Radha Singh, Senior Manager (P&Q), Shree Digvijay Cement, shares how refractory demands have evolved on the ground and how smarter digital monitoring is improving kiln stability, uptime and clinker quality.

How have refractory demands changed in your kiln and pyro-processing line over the last five years?
Over the last five years, refractory demands in our kiln and pyro line have changed. Earlier, the focus was mostly on standard grades and routine shutdown-based replacement. But now, because of higher production loads, more alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) usage and greater temperature variation, the expectation from refractory has increased.
In our own case, the current kiln refractory has already completed around 1.5 years, which itself shows how much more we now rely on materials that can handle thermal shock, alkali attack and coating fluctuations. We have moved towards more stable, high-performance linings so that we don’t have to enter the kiln frequently for repairs.
Overall, the shift has been from just ‘installation and run’ to selecting refractories that give longer life, better coating behaviour and more predictable performance under tougher operating conditions.

What are the biggest refractory challenges in the preheater, calciner and cooler zones?
• Preheater: Coating instability, chloride/sulphur cycles and brick erosion.
• Calciner: AFR firing, thermal shock and alkali infiltration.
• Cooler: Severe abrasion, red-river formation and mechanical stress on linings.
Overall, the biggest challenge is maintaining lining stability under highly variable operating conditions.

How do you evaluate and select refractory partners for long-term performance?
In real plant conditions, we don’t select a refractory partner just by looking at price. First, we see their past performance in similar kilns and whether their material has actually survived our operating conditions. We also check how strong their technical support is during shutdowns, because installation quality matters as much as the material itself.
Another key point is how quickly they respond during breakdowns or hot spots. A good partner should be available on short notice. We also look at their failure analysis capability, whether they can explain why a lining failed and suggest improvements.
On top of this, we review the life they delivered in the last few campaigns, their supply reliability and their willingness to offer plant-specific custom solutions instead of generic grades. Only a partner who supports us throughout the life cycle, which includes selection, installation, monitoring and post-failure analysis, fits our long-term requirement.

Can you share a recent example where better refractory selection improved uptime or clinker quality?
Recently, we upgraded to a high-abrasion basic brick at the kiln outlet. Earlier we had frequent chipping and coating loss. With the new lining, thermal stability improved and the coating became much more stable. As a result, our shutdown interval increased and clinker quality remained more consistent. It had a direct impact on our uptime.

How is increased AFR use affecting refractory behaviour?
Increased AFR use is definitely putting more stress on the refractory. The biggest issue we see daily is the rise in chlorine, alkalis and volatiles, which directly attack the lining, especially in the calciner and kiln inlet. AFR firing is also not as stable as conventional fuel, so we face frequent temperature fluctuations, which cause more thermal shock and small cracks in the lining.
Another real problem is coating instability. Some days the coating builds too fast, other days it suddenly drops, and both conditions impact refractory life. We also notice more dust circulation and buildup inside the calciner whenever the AFR mix changes, which again increases erosion.
Because of these practical issues, we have started relying more on alkali-resistant, low-porosity and better thermal shock–resistant materials to handle the additional stress coming from AFR.

What role does digital monitoring or thermal profiling play in your refractory strategy?
Digital tools like kiln shell scanners, IR imaging and thermal profiling help us detect weakening areas much earlier. This reduces unplanned shutdowns, helps identify hotspots accurately and allows us to replace only the critical sections. Overall, our maintenance has shifted from reactive to predictive, improving lining life significantly.

How do you balance cost, durability and installation speed during refractory shutdowns?
We focus on three points:
• Material quality that suits our thermal profile and chemistry.
• Installation speed, in fast turnarounds, we prefer monolithic.
• Life-cycle cost—the cheapest material is not the most economical. We look at durability, future downtime and total cost of ownership.
This balance ensures reliable performance without unnecessary expenditure.

What refractory or pyro-processing innovations could transform Indian cement operations?
Some promising developments include:
• High-performance, low-porosity and nano-bonded refractories
• Precast modular linings to drastically reduce shutdown time
• AI-driven kiln thermal analytics
• Advanced coating management solutions
• More AFR-compatible refractory mixes

These innovations can significantly improve kiln stability, efficiency and maintenance planning across the industry.

Concrete

Digital supply chain visibility is critical

Published

19 hours ago

February 20, 2026

admin

MSR Kali Prasad, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Shree Cement, discusses how data, discipline and scale are turning Industry 4.0 into everyday business reality.

Over the past five years, digitalisation in Indian cement manufacturing has moved decisively beyond experimentation. Today, it is a strategic lever for cost control, operational resilience and sustainability. In this interview, MSR Kali Prasad, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Shree Cement, explains how integrated digital foundations, advanced analytics and real-time visibility are helping deliver measurable business outcomes.

How has digitalisation moved from pilot projects to core strategy in Indian cement manufacturing over the past five years?
Digitalisation in Indian cement has evolved from isolated pilot initiatives into a core business strategy because outcomes are now measurable, repeatable and scalable. The key shift has been the move away from standalone solutions toward an integrated digital foundation built on standardised processes, governed data and enterprise platforms that can be deployed consistently across plants and functions.
At Shree Cement, this transition has been very pragmatic. The early phase focused on visibility through dashboards, reporting, and digitisation of critical workflows. Over time, this has progressed into enterprise-level analytics and decision support across manufacturing and the supply chain,
with clear outcomes in cost optimisation, margin protection and revenue improvement through enhanced customer experience.
Equally important, digital is no longer the responsibility of a single function. It is embedded into day-to-day operations across planning, production, maintenance, despatch and customer servicing, supported by enterprise systems, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data platforms, and a structured approach to change management.

Which digital interventions are delivering the highest ROI across mining, production and logistics today?
In a capital- and cost-intensive sector like cement, the highest returns come from digital interventions that directly reduce unit costs or unlock latent capacity without significant capex.
Supply chain and planning (advanced analytics): Tools for demand forecasting, S&OP, network optimisation and scheduling deliver strong returns by lowering logistics costs, improving service levels, and aligning production with demand in a fragmented and regionally diverse market.
Mining (fleet and productivity analytics): Data-led mine planning, fleet analytics, despatch discipline, and idle-time reduction improve fuel efficiency and equipment utilisation, generating meaningful savings in a cost-heavy operation.
Manufacturing (APC and process analytics): Advanced Process Control, mill optimisation, and variability reduction improve thermal and electrical efficiency, stabilise quality and reduce rework and unplanned stoppages.
Customer experience and revenue enablement (digital platforms): Dealer and retailer apps, order visibility and digitally enabled technical services improve ease of doing business and responsiveness. We are also empowering channel partners with transparent, real-time information on schemes, including eligibility, utilisation status and actionable recommendations, which improves channel satisfaction and market execution while supporting revenue growth.
Overall, while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IIoT are powerful enablers, it is advanced analytics anchored in strong processes that typically delivers the fastest and most reliable ROI.

How is real-time data helping plants shift from reactive maintenance to predictive and prescriptive operations?
Real-time and near real-time data is driving a more proactive and disciplined maintenance culture, beginning with visibility and progressively moving toward prediction and prescription.
At Shree Cement, we have implemented a robust SAP Plant Maintenance framework to standardise maintenance workflows. This is complemented by IIoT-driven condition monitoring, ensuring consistent capture of equipment health indicators such as vibration, temperature, load, operating patterns and alarms.
Real-time visibility enables early detection of abnormal conditions, allowing teams to intervene before failures occur. As data quality improves and failure histories become structured, predictive models can anticipate likely failure modes and recommend timely interventions, improving MTBF and reducing downtime. Over time, these insights will evolve into prescriptive actions, including spares readiness, maintenance scheduling, and operating parameter adjustments, enabling reliability optimisation with minimal disruption.
A critical success factor is adoption. Predictive insights deliver value only when they are embedded into daily workflows, roles and accountability structures. Without this, they remain insights without action.

In a cost-sensitive market like India, how do cement companies balance digital investment with price competitiveness?
In India’s intensely competitive cement market, digital investments must be tightly linked to tangible business outcomes, particularly cost reduction, service improvement, and faster decision-making.
This balance is achieved by prioritising high-impact use cases such as planning efficiency, logistics optimisation, asset reliability, and process stability, all of which typically deliver quick payback. Equally important is building scalable and governed digital foundations that reduce the marginal cost of rolling out new use cases across plants.
Digitally enabled order management, live despatch visibility, and channel partner platforms also improve customer centricity while controlling cost-to-serve, allowing service levels to improve without proportionate increases in headcount or overheads.
In essence, the most effective digital investments do not add cost. They protect margins by reducing variability, improving planning accuracy, and strengthening execution discipline.

How is digitalisation enabling measurable reductions in energy consumption, emissions, and overall carbon footprint?
Digitalisation plays a pivotal role in improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and lowering overall carbon intensity.
Real-time monitoring and analytics enable near real-time tracking of energy consumption and critical operating parameters, allowing inefficiencies to be identified quickly and corrective actions to be implemented. Centralised data consolidation across plants enables benchmarking, accelerates best-practice adoption, and drives consistent improvements in energy performance.
Improved asset reliability through predictive maintenance reduces unplanned downtime and process instability, directly lowering energy losses. Digital platforms also support more effective planning and control of renewable energy sources and waste heat recovery systems, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Most importantly, digitalisation enables sustainability progress to be tracked with greater accuracy and consistency, supporting long-term ESG commitments.

What role does digital supply chain visibility play in managing demand volatility and regional market dynamics in India?
Digital supply chain visibility is critical in India, where demand is highly regional, seasonality is pronounced, and logistics constraints can shift rapidly.
At Shree Cement, planning operates across multiple horizons. Annual planning focuses on capacity, network footprint and medium-term demand. Monthly S&OP aligns demand, production and logistics, while daily scheduling drives execution-level decisions on despatch, sourcing and prioritisation.
As digital maturity increases, this structure is being augmented by central command-and-control capabilities that manage exceptions such as plant constraints, demand spikes, route disruptions and order prioritisation. Planning is also shifting from aggregated averages to granular, cost-to-serve and exception-based decision-making, improving responsiveness, lowering logistics costs and strengthening service reliability.

How prepared is the current workforce for Industry 4.0, and what reskilling strategies are proving most effective?
Workforce preparedness for Industry 4.0 is improving, though the primary challenge lies in scaling capabilities consistently across diverse roles.
The most effective approach is to define capability requirements by role and tailor enablement accordingly. Senior leadership focuses on digital literacy for governance, investment prioritisation, and value tracking. Middle management is enabled to use analytics for execution discipline and adoption. Frontline sales and service teams benefit from
mobile-first tools and KPI-driven workflows, while shop-floor and plant teams focus on data-driven operations, APC usage, maintenance discipline, safety and quality routines.
Personalised, role-based learning paths, supported by on-ground champions and a clear articulation of practical benefits, drive adoption far more effectively than generic training programmes.

Which emerging digital technologies will fundamentally reshape cement manufacturing in the next decade?
AI and GenAI are expected to have the most significant impact, particularly when combined with connected operations and disciplined processes.
Key technologies likely to reshape the sector include GenAI and agentic AI for faster root-cause analysis, knowledge access, and standardisation of best practices; industrial foundation models that learn patterns across large sensor datasets; digital twins that allow simulation of process changes before implementation; and increasingly autonomous control systems that integrate sensors, AI, and APC to maintain stability with minimal manual intervention.
Over time, this will enable more centralised monitoring and management of plant operations, supported by strong processes, training and capability-building.

Concrete

Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation

Published

19 hours ago

February 20, 2026

admin

Professor Procyon Mukherjee discusses how as the cement industry accelerates its shift towards digitalisation, data-driven technologies are becoming the mainstay of sustainability and control across the value chain.

The cement industry, long perceived as traditional and resistant to change, is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digital technologies. As global infrastructure demand grows alongside increasing pressure to decarbonise and improve productivity, cement manufacturers are adopting data-centric tools to enhance performance across the value chain. Nowhere is this shift more impactful than in grinding, which is the energy-intensive final stage of cement production, and in the materials that make grinding more efficient: grinding media and grinding aids.

The imperative for digitalisation
Cement production accounts for roughly 7 per cent to 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, largely due to the energy intensity of clinker production and grinding processes. Digital solutions, such as AI-driven process controls and digital twins, are helping plants improve stability, cut fuel use and reduce emissions while maintaining consistent product quality. In one deployment alongside ABB’s process controls at a Heidelberg plant in Czechia, AI tools cut fuel use by 4 per cent and emissions by 2 per cent, while also improving operational stability.
Digitalisation in cement manufacturing encompasses a suite of technologies, broadly termed as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), AI and machine learning, predictive analytics, cloud-based platforms, advanced process control and digital twins, each playing a role in optimising various stages of production from quarrying to despatch.

Grinding: The crucible of efficiency and cost
Of all the stages in cement production, grinding is among the most energy-intensive, historically consuming large amounts of electricity and representing a significant portion of plant operating costs. As a result, optimising grinding operations has become central to digital transformation strategies.
Modern digital systems are transforming grinding mills from mechanical workhorses into intelligent, interconnected assets. Sensors throughout the mill measure parameters such as mill load, vibration, mill speed, particle size distribution, and power consumption. This real-time data, fed into machine learning and advanced process control (APC) systems, can dynamically adjust operating conditions to maintain optimal throughput and energy usage.
For example, advanced grinding systems now predict inefficient conditions, such as impending mill overload, by continuously analysing acoustic and vibration signatures. The system can then proactively adjust clinker feed rates and grinding media distribution to sustain optimal conditions, reducing energy consumption and improving consistency.

Digital twins: Seeing grinding in the virtual world
One of the most transformative digital tools applied in cement grinding is the digital twin, which a real-time virtual replica of physical equipment and processes. By integrating sensor data and
process models, digital twins enable engineers to simulate process variations and run ‘what-if’
scenarios without disrupting actual production. These simulations support decisions on variables such as grinding media charge, mill speed and classifier settings, allowing optimisation of energy use and product fineness.
Digital twins have been used to optimise kilns and grinding circuits in plants worldwide, reducing unplanned downtime and allowing predictive maintenance to extend the life of expensive grinding assets.

Grinding media and grinding aids in a digital era
While digital technologies improve control and prediction, materials science innovations in grinding media and grinding aids have become equally crucial for achieving performance gains.
Grinding media, which comprise the balls or cylinders inside mills, directly influence the efficiency of clinker comminution. Traditionally composed of high-chrome cast iron or forged steel, grinding media account for nearly a quarter of global grinding media consumption by application, with efficiency improvements translating directly to lower energy intensity.
Recent advancements include ceramic and hybrid media that combine hardness and toughness to reduce wear and energy losses. For example, manufacturers such as Sanxin New Materials in China and Tosoh Corporation in Japan have developed sub-nano and zirconia media with exceptional wear resistance. Other innovations include smart media embedded with sensors to monitor wear, temperature, and impact forces in real time, enabling predictive maintenance and optimal media replacement scheduling. These digitally-enabled media solutions can increase grinding efficiency by as much as 15 per cent.
Complementing grinding media are grinding aids, which are chemical additives that improve mill throughput and reduce energy consumption by altering the surface properties of particles, trapping air, and preventing re-agglomeration. Technology leaders like SIKA AG and GCP Applied Technologies have invested in tailored grinding aids compatible with AI-driven dosing platforms that automatically adjust additive concentrations based on real-time mill conditions. Trials in South America reported throughput improvements nearing 19 per cent when integrating such digital assistive dosing with process control systems.
The integration of grinding media data and digital dosing of grinding aids moves the mill closer to a self-optimising system, where AI not only predicts media wear or energy losses but prescribes optimal interventions through automated dosing and operational adjustments.

Global case studies in digital adoption
Several cement companies around the world exemplify digital transformation in practice.
Heidelberg Materials has deployed digital twin technologies across global plants, achieving up to 15 per cent increases in production efficiency and 20 per cent reductions in energy consumption by leveraging real-time analytics and predictive algorithms.
Holcim’s Siggenthal plant in Switzerland piloted AI controllers that autonomously adjusted kiln operations, boosting throughput while reducing specific energy consumption and emissions.
Cemex, through its AI and predictive maintenance initiatives, improved kiln availability and reduced maintenance costs by predicting failures before they occurred. Global efforts also include AI process optimisation initiatives to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

Challenges and the road ahead
Despite these advances, digitalisation in cement grinding faces challenges. Legacy equipment may lack sensor readiness, requiring retrofits and edge-cloud connectivity upgrades. Data governance and integration across plants and systems remains a barrier for many mid-tier producers. Yet, digital transformation statistics show momentum: more than half of cement companies have implemented IoT sensors for equipment monitoring, and digital twin adoption is growing rapidly as part of broader Industry 4.0 strategies.
Furthermore, as digital systems mature, they increasingly support sustainability goals: reduced energy use, optimised media consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. By embedding intelligence into grinding circuits and material inputs like grinding aids, cement manufacturers can strike a balance between efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Conclusion
Digitalisation is not merely an add-on to cement manufacturing. It is reshaping the competitive and sustainability landscape of an industry often perceived as inertia-bound. With grinding representing a nexus of energy intensity and cost, digital technologies from sensor networks and predictive analytics to digital twins offer new levers of control. When paired with innovations in grinding media and grinding aids, particularly those with embedded digital capabilities, plants can achieve unprecedented gains in efficiency, predictability and performance.
For global cement producers aiming to reduce costs and carbon footprints simultaneously, the future belongs to those who harness digital intelligence not just to monitor operations, but to optimise and evolve them continuously.

About the author:
Professor Procyon Mukherjee, ex-CPO Lafarge-Holcim India, ex-President Hindalco, ex-VP Supply Chain Novelis Europe, has been an industry leader in logistics, procurement, operations and supply chain management. His career spans 38 years starting from Philips, Alcan Inc (Indian Aluminum Company), Hindalco, Novelis and Holcim. He authored the book, ‘The Search for Value in Supply Chains’. He serves now as Visiting Professor in SP Jain Global, SIOM and as the Adjunct Professor at SBUP. He advises leading Global Firms including Consulting firms on SCM and Industrial Leadership and is a subject matter expert in aluminum and cement. An Alumnus of IIM Calcutta and Jadavpur University, he has completed the LH Senior Leadership Programme at IVEY Academy at Western University, Canada.