Cemex’s Rudniki plant produces four types of cement as well as road binder and limestone flour. Production processes centre around the plant’s furnace which can take up to 36 hours to light, so even short power outages which don’t require it to cool down are unfeasible as they bring production to a standstill.
The new solution enabled access to ABB’s digital portfolio, which is said to not only lower costs associated with replacing the entire switchgear but also deliver on the plant’s need for ongoing sustainability.
Cemex maintenance specialist Paweł Małolepszy explained: “We were looking for reliable and compact technology. The risk of unplanned power outages has been minimised and the use of a pull-out solution has improved our safety. This significantly extends the continuity of operation of the furnace, which is key to our business”.
The retrofit solution involved an upgrade to ABB’s Emax2 circuit breakers equipped with Ekip Touch. These protection and measurement trip units provide protection functions, and their modular design means they are withdrawable and can be interchanged.
According to ABB, the plant’s control and monitoring system has also been upgraded to ABB’s digital analysers which function as both multimetres and network analysers to enable accurate (to 1%) measurements. This data can be uploaded to ABB Ability Energy & Asset Manager, enabling energy usage and additional parameters such as power and load to be monitored via the cloud.
When Cemex operators test their system, they can now pull out and isolate the relevant breaker and work in safety without needing to disconnect the furnace from the power supply and shut down production. Furthermore, improving the thermal energy efficiency of the furnace enables the plant to reduce the amount of clinker used and thereby reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.
“This is a perfect example of a comprehensive retrofit, tailored to our customer’s specific needs,” explained Kamil Schabiński, project manager for ABB Electrification Service.
“ABB products have transformed the plant’s operating conditions and the reliability and safety of its power supply. Their new circuit breakers can be connected to the cloud at any time, which will further increase their digital functionality and energy management.”