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ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT FOR ADVANCED CERAMICS PRODUCTION IN RUSSIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

M. A. Vartanyan

Abstract

Presently, energy efficiency (EE) improvement is considered a part of the state environmental policy in Russian Federation, an instrument for modernization of national industry and a tool to enhance its environmental performance. This approach holds much promise regarding ceramics manufacturers, where industrial sites are most energy-intensive and are classified as category I objects in terms of negative environmental impact. Since 2010s Russian practitioners have tended to evaluate energy efficiency and environmental performance based on best available techniques (BATs), addressing these as stated in the EU Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive. With regard to existing industries an open information exchange performed via practitioners questioning and visits to production sites leads to two major conclusions. Firstly, EE-related initiatives in Russia are mostly considered as a way to improve economic, rather than environmental performance. Secondly, possible strategies in this area are determined by product characteristics. Ceramics manufacturers for mass market (i.e. bricks, tiles, pottery, sanitaryware) are open towards Best Available Techniques (BATs) as process-integrated technical and technological measures, namely variation of raw materials, adjustment of firing regimes, deep modernization of dryers and furnaces, excessive heat regenerating schemes, etc. On the other hand, manufacturers of so-called advanced ceramics, which is under strict performance and reliability control, shift towards management solutions. These include quality management systems compliant with national and/or ISO 9001 standards and environment management systems compliant with ISO 14001. Recently, an integrated management system known as ?lean production? has been introduced, and practitioners explore both its financial and environmental benefits. At the same time creation or deep modernization of a production site makes it possible to incorporate BATs in manufacturing process in a most balanced way. This requires an in-depth analysis of all technological stages; however, compared to non-BAT based approach, resulting solutions prove to be not only environmentally sound, but also ready-to-apply and economically viable.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019v/6.3/s07.001

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