ABB partners with Carbon Re to revolutionise cement production

In a strategic move to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of cement production, automation giant ABB has announced a collaboration with Carbon Re, an industrial artificial intelligence (AI) company. This significant partnership was cemented through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), focusing on the integration of advanced AI technologies with ABB’s existing automation and advanced process control (APC) systems.

The collaboration primarily aims at revolutionising cement manufacturing processes, traditionally known for their high energy consumption and carbon emissions. By combining ABB’s well-established automation abilities with Carbon Re’s cutting-edge AI and machine learning (ML) technologies, the two companies are set to create a solution ready for market deployment. This innovative approach seeks to optimise operational efficiencies and significantly lower the carbon footprint of cement production plants.

The foundation for this partnership was laid following a successful pilot project in the Czech Republic where ABB trialled its technology. Building on the insights gained, ABB now plans to enhance its ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer, an APC solution specifically tailored for cement production, with Carbon Re’s AI platform. This enhancement is poised to refine the Optimizer’s capabilities in setting targets dynamically, such as improving post-combustion efficiency. By leveraging AI, these targets would adjust automatically in response to changing plant conditions, thus ensuring optimal performance and emission reduction.

This collaboration aligns with ABB’s broader “Do More With Digital” initiative. Through this global campaign, ABB seeks to highlight the transformative potential of digital technologies in process industries, encouraging professionals to adopt innovative digital tools.

Central to this partnership is the incorporation of Carbon Re’s AI and ML technologies, which will provide continuous, cloud-based software updates to ABB’s offerings. This development is expected to improve kiln operations by maintaining optimal conditions and reducing emissions, key to a sustainable cement production process.

Traditionally, the use of such technology results in a 1-5% reduction in specific energy consumption and allows an increase in the deployment of alternative fuels by up to 50%. With the integration of Carbon Re’s AI, it is estimated that cement plants could achieve up to a 5% decrease in specific energy use. This would enhance kiln stability and optimise pyro processes in real-time, significantly reducing the need for manual control room interventions.

The collaboration between ABB and Carbon Re could well mark a turning point in cement production, addressing the industry’s longstanding challenge of high energy demands. The expertise shared between the two companies presents a promising pathway towards more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly cement manufacturing practices.

Source: Noah Wire Services