Waste heat is the largest unused energy resource in the world. Harnessing this untapped potential can be a game-changer. A flexible and proven technology, modular organic-Rankine cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery turns waste heat into electricity while improving business performance, reducing CO2 emissions, and enhancing overall sustainability in energy-intensive cement production immediately. Through new technologies, ORC modules can now also be used for medium-sized and smaller plants. By Dr Andreas Sichert, Orcan Energy, Germany.

A growing population, increasing urbanisation and industrialisation are three factors driving growth in the construction and cement industries. Forecasts expect the cement industry to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.4 per cent until 2030.1 While a crucial part of human lives, its environmental impact has become an even bigger issue. The cement industry alone is responsible for about a quarter of all industries’ CO2 emissions, according to McKinsey.2

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