Kamil Gökhan BOZKURT
CEO
Nuh Çimento Grubu
Considering the fact that in the last century the usage of mineral resources increased 8 fold and the fossil fuel usage increased 12 fold, it becomes evident that every sector, even every human being needs to become more cautious and responsible about consuming these energy resources. The climate change was just a presumption in the previous years, but in today’s world we are living through this change with all its negative effects in real time. This is why all the corporations, especially in cement, energy production, iron and steel production fields that use energy the most, need to take full environmental responsibility.
In cement industry, the main component of cement is clinker. In order to produce clinker, raw materials like limestone and clay are crushed and burnt in rotary furnaces at 14500C. The clinker produced, is ground with plaster. Different types of cement is produced by adding pozzuolana or limestone into the mix during grinding. It might look like an easy process at first sight but it takes approximately 110 kWh electricity and 3-4, 0 GJ fuel energy to produce 1 ton of cement. Energy is the biggest expense in the cement industry and constitutes approximately 60% of the operating expenses. In this sense, the usage of alternative energy resources in cement industry is very important for the consumption of natural resources to decrease and help prevent global warming. In addition, it provides opportunity for lowering the energy expenses.
Today, many cement factories use recycled energy from waste thermal sources and save up to 20-25% on their energy needs. There have been many investments being made in order to use the alternative fuels instead of the fossil fuels. In this way, the waste products are being recycled, saving up energy to be used in different fields in the industry, also this helps reduce the consumption of the natural energy sources.
As Nuh Çimento in the last 10 years, we have made serious investments in the matter of alternative energy usage and we are moving forward in our goal to become the leading corporation about this issue in the industry. In this scope, in year 2006, we have started our alternative fuel usage mission and opened Turkey’s first cement sector integrated sludge drying plant in 2009. We believe we lead the way in recycling the city sludge with this plant, which has many examples now in the sector. We also believe that we reached our aim of introducing the private sector to this technology which lead to a lot of regain in the economy in the form of savings in energy expenses.
In our 18 MWh capacity plant that is recycling the waste heat into electricity, we procure 25% of our energy needs from waste gases. In addition, the energy needed for the recycling plants systems to function, is also derived from the recycled dried sludge energy so that no natural sources are consumed.
Considering the fact that most of the fossil fuel the cement industry uses, is imported from abroad, it is evident that using recycled alternative energy resources becomes a very important factor for current account deficit financing. In other words, the recycling of waste products into energy resources means the use of national energy resources.
The most important factor in the reduction of energy resources is, the ratios of the clinker in the cement. In the market we are a part of, the product that is presented to the market has the highest ratio of clinker. This in turn means the increase in the amount of energy resources needed per product launched.
All our practices mentioned above that will both help better current account financing and the decrease of the greenhouse gas release into the environment, are turned into reality as a result of suitability results of feasibility reports that are done under the responsibility of the private sector. Whereas, this issue needs to be managed without leaving it to the initiative of persons or companies in the sector, because of the dowel action created by government promotions and legal practices established for the usage of blended cement.
As Nuh Çimento, until this day, we have made a lot investments in the issue of alternative energy usage without expecting any profit and carried our projects into effect. However, in order for the sustainable investments to be created in the sector, there needs to be more dowel action put into life. All of the cement sector representatives must be willing to take certain risks, and do whatever they need to do to fulfill their environmental obligations. In the next ten years, the cement sector must be the main topic of conversation with all the recycling it performs and not with the damage it causes to the environment.
