[Report] "Asia's Largest Cement Plant, Energy Revolution in Operation"

Ssangyong C&E Donghae Plant, Annual Electricity Cost of 100 Billion KRW... Waste Heat Power Generation Facility Established in 2016
Circulating Fuel Replacement Rate 41%, Targeting Zero Coal Usage by 2030

Operation view of the kiln at Ssangyong C&E Donghae Plant. [Photo by Ssangyong C&E]

[Donghae=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] "This is a revolutionary era for the cement industry."

On the 15th, at Ssangyong C&E Donghae Plant in Samhwa-dong, Donghae-si, Gangwon-do, despite the heavy raindrops falling, the massive kiln was continuously rotating, and the water-cooled cooling system for clinker kept emitting steam. Won Yong-gyo, the plant manager (executive director) of the Donghae Plant, stated, "This site is practicing an energy revolution to achieve zero use of bituminous coal and zero external power consumption by 2030."

The kiln is a core facility that heats limestone, clay, silica, and iron ore at temperatures above 1450℃ to produce clinker, a lumped semi-finished cement product. When gypsum is added to the clinker produced in the kiln and ground, it becomes cement.

Completed in 1968, Ssangyong Cement Donghae Plant is the largest in Asia, with a combined factory and mine site area of 11.3 million square meters, which is four times the size of Yeouido. It produces 11.5 million tons of cement annually from seven kilns. Considering that the annual clinker production of the seven domestic cement companies is 50 million tons, about one-fifth of the total domestic production is produced at this Donghae Plant.

Among this, 31% is exported worldwide to countries such as the United States, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Chile. Exports are carried out through the Bukpyeong Plant. A conveyor belt connects the Donghae Plant to the pier at the Bukpyeong Plant, which is 8.4 km away. Plant Manager Won explained, "The cement produced at the Donghae Plant is transported in clinker form to the Bukpyeong Plant for shipment," adding, "Donghae Plant is the only cement plant worldwide that simultaneously possesses such eco-friendly facilities and production volume."

Due to its large scale, electricity costs are enormous. Electricity accounts for about 30% of the cement manufacturing cost. The Donghae Plant spends over 100 billion won annually on electricity. To reduce this cost and environmental pollutant emissions, Ssangyong C&E invested 100 billion won since 2016 to build a waste heat power generation facility. The high-temperature clinker produced in the kiln is cooled to about 350℃. The waste heat power generation facility installs separate boilers in the preheater and cooler, which are the preceding and succeeding processes of this cooling stage, to recover the high-temperature heat released into the atmosphere and generate electricity.

Exterior view of Ssangyong C&E Donghae Plant. [Photo by Ssangyong C&E]

The waste heat power generation facility at Ssangyong C&E Donghae Plant is the largest in the world, producing 280,000 MWh annually, which is 33% of the total 840,000 MWh of power. An energy storage system (ESS) was also established to charge electricity during the relatively cheap nighttime hours and use it during the daytime when power consumption is high. Through this, it is expected that by 2030, 100% of the Donghae Plant’s required power will be supplied by the waste heat power generation facility.

Facilities to reduce bituminous coal use and utilize recycled resources such as waste synthetic resin and waste tires as auxiliary fuel are also continuously being expanded. Through this, the use of bituminous coal, which was about 1.5 million tons in 2019, has decreased to 1 million tons last year, and waste synthetic resin can now be processed up to 700,000 tons. The goal is to achieve a 41% substitution rate with recycled fuel this year and reach 90% by 2030.

Lee Hyun-jun, CEO of Ssangyong C&E (also chairman of the Korea Cement Association), said, "Ssangyong C&E has invested 220 billion won over the past two years in expanding waste heat power generation and recycled resource facilities, and plans to invest an additional 282 billion won within three years, totaling 502 billion won in eco-friendly facility expansion over five years."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.