ENGIE Solutions, an international leader in sustainable energy solutions has announced that its 10MW Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) project at Holcim UAE’s LEC cement plant in Fujairah has begun construction and is expected to generate its first Kilowatt-hour commissioned by year-end 2023.
Last year, LEC, part of the Holcim Group, a leading Swiss industrial company, signed a 10-year BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer) contract with ENGIE Solutions, to design, finance, construct and manage operations of a 10MW WHR system on LEC’s Fujairah site.
Based on a closed-loop thermodynamic cycle, the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system will help LEC avoid 29 kilotonnes per year of CO2 emissions from the grid – representing a reduction of 28% in power-related emissions.
LEC is working with ENGIE Solutions, which brings a wealth of global experience and expertise to the new-build project. ENGIE Solutions will implement the ORC technology in an “energy as-a-service” model in the cement industry for the first time in the region. ENGIE’s energy-as-a-service model means guaranteed energy savings, higher reliability, and resiliency, with no capital outlay and no need for additional staff.
Olivier Milhaud, General Manager, LEC, says: “We’ve made a commitment to building a net zero future for our people and planet, and this is one of the major milestones in our journey towards sustainability. We are fully committed to the UAE’s sustainability goals, including the 2050 Net Zero vision.”
“In partnership with ENGIE Solutions, we are implementing a digital solution that converts waste heat into energy. This brings cost savings, greater efficiency, and closer alignment with our double commitment to sustainability goals.” Milhaud added.
“We are investing in the technology, the future of LEC’s business, and the UAE’s decarbonization strategy, all in one project,” says Alexander Alzamora, Head of Energy Efficiency, ENGIE Solutions GCC, adding that “the scheme will certainly be a regional flagship and benchmark in how to support decarbonization of the cement industry.”
Traditionally, the cement industry involves heating raw materials to 1,500 degrees Celsius – the temperature of molten lava – to make cement. Fossil fuels often provide the energy, giving the cement industry a bad reputation in sustainability circles. ENGIE Solutions’ waste heat recovery system – based on the ORC technology, will capture low-temperature waste heat and can be operated without water.
Alzamora adds: “This project will become a regional flagship for ENGIE in support of decarbonizing the cement industry, which is considered a “hard to abate sector” in decarbonization terms. While ORC technology is proven and widely used in other sectors, we are excited to implement it for the first time in the region’s cement production sector, and LEC should be lauded for its forward-thinking.”
“We are rapidly changing the mindset of industrial companies in the region that financed energy-as-a-service solutions accelerate decarbonization strategies and allow the region’s industrial and manufacturing sector to focus on core business while helping achieve greater efficiency and sustainability goals,” concludes Alzamora.
