Use Case 2: Gmunden, Austria

● Use Case Area of Application: analysis of potential configurations of integrating the RESTORE technology into the cement production plant and its relation to the neighbouring heat consumers.

● Expected goals to be achieved: Maximization of renewable energy integration and optimum WEH utilization from the factory for highly efficient seasonal storage of electricity using RESTORE.

Use Case Description

The Gmunden site cement plant of RD group has currently the capacity of around 1.900 ton/day of cement clinker, with a district heating connection (capacity of ~8 MWth). The clinker process offers multiple options of heat integration with district heating and cooling, either via the WEH coming from air cooled clinker coolers, or from the off gas from cyclone tower. In the case of a waste heat steam cycle plant such as in the Rohrdorf site, also, extraction steam from a steam turbine can be used which itself is fed by steam from the waste heat recovery steam generator. The installation of a waste heat steam generator is under consideration in the frame of a national research project. The state-of-the-art cement factory in Gmunden produces huge amounts of WEH that cannot be used by the cement production process itself. Its recent connection to a local district heating network allowed 8 MW thermal power to be provided covering the heat demand for roughly 1,000 homes. Additional excess heat is available, especially during summer months where no space heating is required.

Gmunden cement factory overview

Community addressed

The Austrian cement industry incorporates nine integrated cement plants and two grinding mills spread across the country, including the Gmundner Zement’s Hatschek plant. The communities involved are the core stakeholders in the site of Gmunden, like adjacent industrial companies, municipalities and regional authorities. Apart from the regional expected impact, RESTORE Use Case II will be a relevant reference on a wider sense, at national and European scales for the cement industry.