Reducing emissions, energy and water consumption.
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Case Study 2: Lime kilns emissions and fuel usage
Context
Our client was a quicklime business with a mine and
three kilns. The mined limestone was heated in one of three
kilns to convert the limestone (CaCO3) to quicklime (CaO).
Two kilns were of the vertical type and one was of the horizontal
type, but the two vertical kilns differed significantly in
their operation.
Both vertical kilns were causing environmental problems.
During normal operations the stack gases were visually obvious
(black smoke) and carried an offensive odour that impacted
a residential area on the outskirts of the town. The Department
of Environmental Protection made frequent visits to follow
up community complaints, members of the community were actively
campaigning against the plant and as a result, the plant’s
operating license was on the brink of being revoked (or the
plant forced to use uneconomic diesel as a fuel).
Approach
The PIP team worked with line management to implement ideas,
modify procedures and put in place tight management controls.
Results
- 55% reduction in Carbon and particulate emissions
- Emissions finally well within the environmental license
limits defined by the State Regulatory Authority
- Quality of the quicklime increased from 75% to 85% CaO
(quality and price of quicklime is proportional to the percent
of the product that is CaO)
- 22% reduction in recycled oil consumption which significantly
reduced the conversion cost of the lime
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