As 2010 was winding down, the Salt River Materials Group Phoenix cement plant in Clarkdale, Ariz., was recently honored with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star label for 2010. The plant had received its first label in 2007 and has been labeled every year thereafter.
In order to qualify for the award, a plant must score at least 75 of a possible 100 on the Energy Performance Indicator (EPI), used by the EPA to measure energy efficiency in cement plants. In addition, the plant must have a three-year history of environmental compliance. “Our score for 2008, 2009, and 2010 were a perfect 100 on the EPI,” said Lew Dodendorf, energy manager for the company. “We made additional improvements which allow us to reduce our energy usage while maintaining excellent production and quality.”
The Phoenix Cement plant features energy-efficient roller mills for coal, raw meal, and finish cement grinding. The finish grinding mill was the first such mill to be installed in the United States. An energy-efficient clinker cooler captures and uses more waste heat in the system, and raw feed sweetening and blending systems have recently been upgraded to improve overall process efficiency.
