Starter kit for alternate solid fuel feeding

The alarming rise in waste generation and fall in the availability of fossil fuels have together highlighted the absolute requirement and benefits of co-processing of alternate fuels (AF) to attain a sustainable cement manufacturing process. Co-processing of fuels in the cement plant is considered as an effective option as it targets both material and energy recovery from the solid wastes along with substitution of coal or other fossil fuels. The main challenges in AF feeding can be broadly categorised under feeding related issues and process related issues. The market for the feeding equipment is vast, with multiple technologies targeting different scales of feeding capacity requirements and material properties, thus making the potential for innovation very high. Other than this, the fuel supply is also a major bottleneck for increasing the thermal substitution rates (TSR) beyond the regulatory minimum. This can be improved by utilising all available types of material that possess good calorific values. This demands a handling and feeding system that is cost effective and versatile in operation. This paper contains a detailed account of the proposed starter kit at a reputed cement plant in the Middle-East that addresses the above problems effectively.

Author: A. Salunke, S. Kumbhar

Section: Equipment and technology

Keywords: waste, alternative fuel, co-processing, equipment, Thermal Substitution Rate