Clay drying is one of the most important steps in the construction materials industry. Due to its high-energy requirement, clay drying is one of the most energy-consuming processes contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, motivating the search for strategies to increase the energy efficiency of the process.
The increase of energy efficiency is an option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). This benefits the industrial sector by reducing the energy consumption required to manufacture products, increasing production levels, and improving the competitiveness of the industry at a national and international level.
In this work, the energy audits and evaluation of the kilns used in the calcination stage of the calcium oxide production process of two Colombian factories are shown. The energy intensity and usage distribution were evaluated, as well as the technological state of the presently used heating equipment as compared with the most advanced technology available for the calcination process.
The cement industry is one of the world’s largest energy consumers. In this work, a walk-through study of representative cement companies was carried out to characterize the energy profile of the cement industry in Colombia, with emphasis on evaluating the degree of obsolescence of the technology used in the processes, as well as identifying the main barriers that prevent the adaptation of more efficient technologies. Perception-surveys were performed among the energy managers to determine the barriers that hinder the implementation of energy efficiency measures.