Powering digital solutions for the cement industry

ABB is implementing its Industry 4.0 solutions in its facilities

Tan Thang Cement Plant, scheduled to be commissioned in late 2019 in the central province of Nghe An, will be the first digital cement plant to integrate the most advanced Industry 4.0 technologies following the announcement that ABB won an order to provide the plant with additional integrated digital automation and electrical equipment.

The investors in the Tan Thang project are focused on incorporating the latest Industry 4.0 technology into the new plant. ABB Ability, ABB’s cross-industry digital offering, will help to provide integration of all plant systems.

“We aim to have the most modern cement plant, equipped with the latest digital technology, that will help us to achieve our production and efficiency goals,” said Hoang Anh Tuan, general director of Tan Thang Cement Plant. “ABB is helping us to build a strong digital foundation for the systems at our plant, to help us succeed from our first day of production.”

The follow-up order includes a 110 kilovolt air-insulated substation, with a supervisory control and data acquisition system based on the ABB Ability System 800xA for power control, as well as telecommunications, and high-voltage primary and secondary equipment to support the electrical infrastructure. ABB will also deliver power transformers, distribution transformers, an intelligent motor control centre, auxiliary control centre, emergency diesel generator, DC power supply, various field devices, and related commissioning services. ABB’s initial delivery included the ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system to integrate control, electrical, and communication systems for optimal visibility into all processes for stable production and efficient use of raw materials and energy. It also included ABB Ability knowledge manager and expert optimiser software, as well as basic communication and electrical system infrastructure and equipment.

Cement into 4.0 is an example of the sector’s ability and determination to undertake a paradigm shift which, beyond transformations in production processes, services, and products generated for customers and society, also includes business model development, new forms of customer relations, and value creation for customers, as well as the fields of staff training and capacity-building.

This transformation in the cement industry is driven by mass data processing, real-time connectivity, on-demand custom production, and a framework for smart plants.

Cement into 4.0 has its sights set on optimising the use of raw materials and energy while enhancing information flows with higher efficiency so as to generate solutions for construction that meet the demands of 21st-century society, with high performance and greater added value in technical features and environmental contributions.

The Vietnamese cement industry is striving to be competitive and sustainable so as to generate the high-quality and efficient construction materials needed by the country, and to continue creating stable and highly qualified employment.

Vietnam’s cement and clinker sales volume reached 80.3 million tonnes in 2017, posting an increasing growth rate for three years in a row. According to the StoxPlus database, there are 107 cement facilities in Vietnam belonging to 93 companies, with the total annual capacity of 120.9 million tonnes. Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation has reported utilisation of this capacity at over 80 per cent.

ABB has supplied its state-of-the-art control and optimisation systems to many major cement projects. The scope of supply also includes low- and medium-voltage distribution, transformers and power cables, power factor correction, emergency diesel generator and UPS systems, motors and drives, instrumentation, control and signal cables, infrastructure, telephone, fire and alarm systems, and process and plant TV supervision systems, as well as support in engineering, installation, and project management.