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Slovenian Smart Factory Optimizes Energy Consumption with LoRaWAN
Technology Category
- Other - Battery
- Sensors - Utility Meters
Applicable Industries
- Cement
- Electrical Grids
Use Cases
- Building Energy Management
- Energy Management System
Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Salonit Anhovo, the largest cement production factory in Slovenia, aimed to join the top 10% most energy-efficient cement factories in Europe. Despite already using around 60% alternative fuels and maintaining a CO2 emission factor below the benchmark factor, the factory faced significant challenges due to the energy-intensive nature of clinker production. The factory's electricity consumption averaged 85 GWh, with 2500 Tera Joules of energy used for clinker burning, leading to energy bills of up to 9 million EUR per year, primarily for electricity. Salonit needed to comply with European energy regulation and sought to leverage a co-financing mechanism to invest in equipment and monitoring solutions that would help meet the energy consumption reduction target.
The Customer
Salonit Anhovo
About The Customer
Salonit Anhovo is the largest cement production factory in Slovenia, with a history of over 90 years. Located in the central valley of Soča, the factory has been a driver of innovation for the region. Over the past decade, the factory has made significant investments in its production line. Salonit Anhovo is committed to environmental regulation compliance and is dedicated to optimizing and reducing energy consumption. The factory uses around 60% alternative fuels and maintains a CO2 emission factor below the benchmark factor. Despite these efforts, the energy-intensive nature of clinker production has led to high energy bills, primarily for electricity.
The Solution
Salonit Anhovo opted for a wireless technology over wired technology to simplify the roll-out of an energy management system (EMS). They chose LoRaWAN for its long-range capabilities, considering the Salonit site stretches over 3 km in a valley. The factory implemented the Combox.L CI-B series of sensors for their long battery life and suitability for the harsh industrial environment. Before the EMS implementation, data was collected via a legacy SCADA system and manually registered monthly energy consumption. Now, all energy data is automatically collected via the Gemalogic EMS from Solvera Lynx. The EMS couples energy management data with production data and stores it in an online database. The system also prepares energy usage reports automatically, which are shared throughout the organization.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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