Towards a circular green economy and digital transformation

With his welcome address, Suat Çalbiyik, Deputy Chairman, Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Association, opened the 15th edition of the TÇMB International Technical Seminar and Exhibition, which has been organized biennially by TÇMB since 1987. As the event’s main theme was “Towards a circular green economy and digital transformation”, he emphasized the cement industry’s awareness and responsibility for sustainability and environmental matters. In 14 plants of the TÇMB members 23 waste heat recovery lines are installed which are supplying a total capacity of 130 MW, which equals the daily consumption of about 520000 households. The annual CO₂ emissions were reduced by 297000 t, which corresponds to the annual carbon dioxide absorbtion of 150000 trees.

The Turkish cement industry comprises 74 plants (55 integrated and 19 grinding facilities) with a total production of 71 million t of clinker and about 75 million t of cement. This makes the volume of the Turkish cement production the first in Europe and the fourth in the world.

In his opening speech, Ian Riley, CEO, World Cement Association (WCA), presented the work of the WCA as the largest international network of independent cement producers in the world. The most important trends in the cement industry are sustainability, innovation and internationalization. In order to support its members the WCA focuses on practical value added services, taking advantage of the international network as well as the needs of emerging markets. Furthermore, it encourages the industry to engage with new technologies with the aim to fully decarbonise by 2050.

The China Cement Association (CCA) also welcomed the audience with a video message.

Industry 4.0, alternative fuels and waste heat recovery

The two-day programme covered a wide range of topics including alternative fuels, waste heat recovery, Industry 4.0, innovative production technologies, service and maintenance, industrial symbiosis and zero waste.

In his contribution “How to increase plant productivity and reduce operational cost at the same time?” Can Yapan, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Turkey, looked back at the 158 year history of thyssenkrupp in Turkey as well as the presence covering ten thyssenkrupp locations and two production and service centers. In order to increase their presence, the company is about to launch a Manufacturing & Service Center for Cement & Mining. Afterwards Dr. Markus Hastrich, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, presented the whole range of polysius technology for the Turkish market, including automated storage solutions, vertical roller mills and flexible solutions for alternative fuels.

Andrew Wilson, ABB, explained “How digitalization helps you to maximize efficiency in a cement plant”. After giving an overview of the benefits and features of Advance Process Control, the ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer was presented with the focus on the Expert Optimizer for Cement. The values for the customer include for example an increased use of alternative fuels, an increased throughput and equipment lifetime as well as reduced quality variability, reduced emission levels and energy savings.

Bekir Boşnak, KHD Humboldt Wedag GmbH, presented the “KHD‘s Pyrorotor^® – The most flexible approach to alternative fuel usage”, the first of which was commissioned in Austria showing very promising available results. As the complete burn-out is achieved by long retention times and constant material movement, KHD’s Pyrorotor works with almost all types of unprepared AF, using the huge potential of reducing fuel costs by increasing AF substitution rates. Three more projects are already ongoing in Turkey, China and South Korea.

Tim Hamer, Vecoplan AG, spoke about “Shredding technology ­– The quality gate for RDF production. Case study: Bulgaria & Turkey”. He started with an overview of the required technologies for AF preparation and handling as well as the common handling equipment in cement applications. The first case study presented the engineering and implementation project in a Bulgarian RDF plant for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) as well as commercial and industrial waste. The second case study depicted the solutions for an RDF/TDF handling system in a Turkish plant.

The subject addressed by Gökmen Müftüoğlu, VDZ, was “Optimisation of the clinker burning process when using alternative fuels in cement kilns“. Starting with an overview of the alternative fuel utilization in Germany as well as its challenges, the impact on the process was described. VDZ supports manufacturers in introducing AF’s into their existing kiln system based on its long term experience. Furthermore VDZ’s process reviews offers customised solutions to overcome the side effects and impacts of AF utilisation on the production process, while the training programme enhances the knowledge on AF utilization.

Fırat Aslan, DAL Engineering Group, presented the “Filter-to-filter pyro process design”, which covers the production units as kiln/VRM dedusting unit, raw meal transport and homogenization silo unit, kiln feed system, gas conditioning tower unit, pyro process unit as well as the clinker cooler dedusting unit. As a reference the upgradation of the Nuh Cement Plant in Turkey was described in detail.

The supporting technical exhibition gave a very good opportunity and stage for a detailed exchange of information and knowledge as well as for networking on a national and international scale. The industry meeting perfectly organized by the Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Association provided many chances to discuss new projects and experiences during the breaks, such as for example at the closing gala dinner. The 16th TÇMB is scheduled for 2021.

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