Cement & Glass
The industries of fire: rotary kilns at 1450 °C, glass melting furnaces at 1500 °C, running continuously for years. Highly energy- and CO₂-intensive — cement alone accounts for about 7 to 8 % of global emissions — they are now at the front line of decarbonization.
The main families
Rotary kiln & grinding
Limestone calcination into clinker, grinding, alternative fuels (waste). Advanced kiln control, dust handling.
Melting furnace & float
Continuous melting, float process (flat glass), forming, annealing. Extreme thermal stability, optical quality.
Calcination & materials
Lime kilns, quarries, crushing. Thermal processes and heavy handling, high energy intensity.
Key challenges
- Decarbonization — the major challenge: cement emits CO₂ from both combustion AND the calcination chemistry. Alternative fuels, CO₂ capture (CCUS), low-carbon cements.
- High-temperature processes — kilns at 1450-1500 °C continuously. Burner safety (SIS), thermal stability, in-line product quality.
- Dust & ATEX — massive handling of powdery materials: dust-explosion risk, ATEX zones, dust collection.
- Availability — a furnace runs for years without stopping; any unplanned shutdown is extremely costly. Predictive maintenance and asset management.
Key technologies
Standards & references
Add the safety standards for industrial thermoprocessing (EN 746) and furnaces (NFPA 86), and sector CO₂ frameworks.
Major players
Cement
Holcim, Heidelberg Materials, Cemex, CRH, Buzzi.
Glass
Saint-Gobain, NSG/Pilkington, AGC, Owens-Illinois, Corning.
Equipment
FLSmidth, thyssenkrupp Polysius, KHD, Glaston.
Automation
ABB, Siemens, Schneider, Rockwell.