Evaluating clean development mechanism projects in the cement industry using a process-step benchmarking approach." Energy Analysis Department Report No

This report describes the potential use of benchmarking for evaluating Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the cement industry. We discuss a methodology for comparing proposed projects against a benchmark using a process-step approach. We find that cement production is well suited to a process-step benchmark methodology for evaluating energy use because it consists of a number of discreet steps for which energy use can be measured. There are three primary process steps that can be evaluated with a benchmark: raw material preparation, clinker production, and cement grinding. Benchmark values can be determined for these three major process steps in a number of ways. The most promising methodologies involve analyzing plant performance of recent new plants or modifications and looking to technological estimations of “best practice ” for energy use. We use technological “best practice ” estimates for the cement industry as benchmark values to test the process-step benchmarking approach. Two examples are constructed and evaluated against these benchmarks; one uses data from an efficient plant in Thailand and one uses the most efficient values from a range of best available technology estimates. Our examples show that th