Page 20 - CleanIndiaJournal June Digital Issue

Cover Story

the raw material for cement is Future of FM
65-70%. Instead of allowing the
remaining 40% heat to escape, it “There was a time when a 3,000
can be reused to generate power tonne/day plant would employ
through waste heat recovery 3,000-4,000 people; now, this has Bag filters are present
boilers – something already done reduced to 700-800”, revealed
by new cement plants. Vasavada. “This has become at grinding units,
possible because of digitisation loading areas and other
Energy generation and online real-time measurement parts where fugitive
of various parameters.”
Solar power – both rooftop and One future trend of cement dust can be dispersed.
solar farms – are gaining ground plant facility management will
in the cement industry. Typically, be to find ways to extend the life The collected dust is
the cement company provides land of equipment, thus increasing discharged back into the
and pays at a predefined rate for the gap between scheduled system.
power generated by the solar plant maintenance dates from one year,
that is installed and maintained by a
third party. No Capex investment is to say 1.5-2 years. Kanti Lal Nanda
needed. Service providers who can
find ways to prevent spills, and
Outsourcing monitor maintenance parameters
like oil quality and gearbox
“Earlier, the entire staff performance (to advise on how
or crew used to be on the much longer it can be used
cement company’s rolls; now beyond the OEM’s guidelines)
contractual jobs are increasing. will be favoured.
Core personnel like control
room operators, those dealing Plants that are a few decades
with large motors and critical old may struggle to reach this
instrumentation personnel are level and will need help; newer
still from the company; security, plants already have this, and much
housekeeping and alternative more, in place.
power generation tend to be
outsourced. Maintenance
engineers will be from the
company but technicians may be
outsourced”, shared Vasavada.
“Other outsourced functions –
on tonnage basis – include loading
and unloading, and material
handling”, reported Nanda.

Monitoring
A cement plant is tremendously
high-tech. Parameters like flame
temperature, flame condition, gas
flow and composition, fan and
motor efficiency, and gearbox
vibration are monitored from
a central control room through
data control systems. Apart from
fulfilling regulatory requirements,
this also helps companies find
ways to improve operational
efficiency, and their bottom line. CIJ

JUNE 2023•Clean India Journal
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