Industrial waste co-processing: a study on co-processing in cement kilns of waste from sugar mills and alcohol distilleries of Uttar Pradesh
Student name: Mr Bhavay Sharma and Ms Neharika Srivastava
Guide: Dr Nandini Kumar
Year of completion: 2011
Host Organisation: ACC Limited
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Moumita Chakroborty
Abstract: Today, Industrial waste, hazardous and non- hazardous, is posing a great problem for the
industries generating them. The conventional disposal options have been found to be insufficient
and in some cases environmentally unsound. In our report we have enlarged upon Co-processing
as an alternative which can cater to the waste from these industries in an environment friendly
manner. The project has been carried out for the Alternate Fuels and Raw materials department
of ACC Ltd. In this report, waste from sugar mills and alcohol distilleries, namely bagasse ash,
press mud and spent wash, have been considered.
On the basis of the interviews conducted and the plants visited, it was observed that out of the
above, spent wash has the highest potential to be used as a resource in the cement kiln owing to
its calorific value and availability. The potential for spent wash has been calculated in terms of
replacement ratio of coal as well as capital earned by its substitution with coal. The potential for
bagasse ash is dubious because its utility as a resource in the cement process is a bone of
contention. We hope to carry forward our research on this as there are theories put forward
suggesting its non-viability as an alternate cementitious material as well as vice-versa.
On the basis of our work, we have formulated a database which we hope will be useful in
generating an estimate of what the situation is at present in UP in the sugar and distillery sector.
We hope to see our work put to use by the cement sector at large.
Keywords: Co-processing, Cement, waste, bagasse, spent wash
