ABB enables a first of its kind digitalization project for RCCPL

ABB will supply RCCPL with ABB Ability Expert Optimizer, an advanced process control solution for controlling, stabilizing, and optimizing industrial processes and which will allow the cement producer to increase production, minimize carbon footprint and reduce fuel consumption to meet energy usage goals.

Birla Corporation currently produces cement at seven locations in India with a combined capacity of nearly 15.5 million tonnes per annum.

The 3.90 million tonnes per year greenfield plant at Mukutban, Yavatmal in the Indian state of Maharashtra is about 400 kilometers north of Mumbai and incorporates a 40 MW captive power plant and a 10.60 MW heat recovery system.

ABB will also provide the new cement plant with electrification infrastructure items such as MV Switchgear with MV relays on IEC 61850 communication and LV Switchgear with ABB UMC100.3 intelligent motor controllers which combine intelligent motor protection and control functions and Fieldbus communication, and fault diagnosis in a single device.

The ABB digital solutions and electrification products will be integrated with ABB Ability System 800xA, which is ranked by ARC advisory group as the #1 DCS (distributed control system) platform in the market globally for the 20th consecutive year.

ABB Ability System 800xA is also an electrical control system, a safety system, and a collaboration enabler with the capacity to improve engineering efficiency, operator performance, and asset utilization.

ABB Ability Expert Optimizer uses linear and non-linear model predictive control and neural networks to manage critical plant components, including kiln, alternative fuels, mills, and blending.

It can find the best-operating conditions to maximize output and can immediately detect deviations among various processes in cement production.

This capability is backed by the remote ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Center support, from where experts continually monitor the system for any abnormality and can help retune the system remotely for new process conditions.

“Early involvement in the development of this greenfield project means we can bring a holistic approach to the design of the complete system," said  Krishnadas Manjaparra, business head of industrial automation process industries for South Asia, Middle-East, and Africa, at ABB.

"We have been able to draw from our strong portfolio of automation and electrification products and solutions and bring varied insights from our years of experience working with small operators, global players, and the turnkey execution of large projects.

We have an established track record in India where more than half of cement plants already run with the ABB automation systems and which ensure maximum efficiency and run consistently shift to shift, irrespective of operator expertise.

What makes us unique is also our newly launched ABB Ability^TM Collaborative Operations Center in India that allows us to provide operations support during the post-commissioning life cycle of the plant to keep the productivity and efficiency at peak levels continuously."

ABB Ability Expert Optimizer is part of the ABB Ability CementOptimize portfolio of digitally connected products, services, and solutions that enable modern cement plants to maximize visibility, reliability, productivity, and energy efficiency and optimize performance.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses:

Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 144,000 employees.