Results and prospects of applying an ISO 50001 based reporting system on a cement plant

The cement industry plays an important role in global development and makes up a sizable portion of global energy consumption. Increased competition places strain on the oversupplied market, creating the need to improve efficiency. Since energy costs make up 30% of production costs, reducing energy consumption increases profitability. Existing energy management methods often demand large capital investments. This study reports on an electrical energy management system for improving cement plant productivity at minimal cost. The system consists of an automated energy performance report which encompasses the Plan Do Check Act approach of ISO 50001. The system collects data from various sources to provide valuable information and graphs on these reports. Large electricity-consuming systems can then be isolated, monitored, and compared with continuously updating benchmarks to identify missed saving opportunities. The system was implemented on a South African plant where the electrical energy cost of cement reduced by 25%. Qualitative consultations confirmed that the system promotes the implementation of ISO 50001 management practices. The system makes it possible to monitor the energy performance of equipment and continuously improve operations. These results prove that cement plant profitability can be improved with minimum capital investment by using an energy management system.