- Muroran Plant, a Nippon Steel Blast Furnace Slag Cement Company facility, has reduced specific heat consumption by more than two percent and increased product quality by around 10 percent
- ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer has been used to automate and optimize the pyro process across calciner, kiln and cooler stages
- Operators benefit from reduced manual actions via stabilized model predictive control (MPC) processes that enable unified outputs
Nippon Steel Blast Furnace Slag Cement Company Ltd. has reported that ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer, an advanced process control solution, has contributed to lower energy consumption and improved product quality at its Muroran cement plant in Hokkaido, Japan.
The digital solution for control, stabilization and optimization of industrial processes has supported the leading cement manufacturer to reduce specific heat consumption by 2.2 percent. Free lime, a key quality indicator, was also reported to have decreased by about 10 percent, resulting in a higher-grade output. ABB completed a performance evaluation to validate the results on Nippon Steel’s operation with and without Expert Optimizer in place.
Following the first commissioning phase with Expert Optimizer in place, automatic operation exceeded 90 percent. The system also reduced manual operator interventions by approximately 80 percent and maintained effective process control during preheater cleaning and other abnormal operating conditions. For operators, the solution provides insights and improved know-how that can result in ongoing process innovations.
Nippon Steel produces blast furnace slag cement as part of its steelmaking business and requires reliable technologies as it moves towards highly automated or autonomous operations. The product is categorized as a low-carbon cement because the total CO₂ is around 40% less than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)1 when clinker is replaced by slag.
The technology uses MPC and AI to predict occurrences and automatically take actions in response to variables. Image ABB 
ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer is an advanced process control (APC) solution used to help cement producers reduce their carbon emissions. Image ABB
Built on decades of process industries expertise, Expert Optimizer reduces emissions impacts further by utilizing MPC and AI to predict occurrences and automatically take actions in response to variables such as temperature, pressure or exhaust gas concentrations. Frequent controls are increasingly important to reduce process variability and meet productivity, cost reduction and quality targets. Across the 1.6 million-ton per annum cement production at Muroran, such efficiencies have widespread impacts.
“Reducing manual operator intervention and cutting fossil fuel consumption are key priorities as we work toward carbon neutrality,” said Hiroyuki Abe, Plant Manager, Muroran Plant, Nippon Steel Blast Furnace Slag Cement Company. “We selected ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer because it offered the best path to achieving those goals. We have seen significant improvements in process stability, clinker quality and overall operational consistency, while reducing the need for manual control. We look forward to building on these results with even more advanced operations in the future.”
“ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer provides precise, flexible process control that can replicate and enhance operator actions,” said Hiromichi Yoda, Local Division Managerfor Japan, ABB’s Process Industriesdivision. “At the Muroran plant, the system is helping address multiple challenges at once: reducing costs, improving quality, supporting digital transformation and mitigating the impact of skilled labor shortages. ABB engineers and plant operators worked closely together to build an effective process model. As operations evolve, the model can be continuously refined and updated. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Nippon Steel to drive even greater efficiency and performance.”
