Actility > Case Studies > Slovenian Smart Factory Optimizes Energy Consumption with LoRaWAN

Slovenian Smart Factory Optimizes Energy Consumption with LoRaWAN

Technology Category

Other - Battery
Sensors - Utility Meters

Applicable Industries

Cement
Electrical Grids

Use Cases

Building Energy Management
Energy Management System

Services

System Integration

The Customer

Salonit Anhovo

About The Customer

Salonit Anhovo is the largest cement production factory in Slovenia, with a history of over 90 years. Located in the central valley of Soča, the factory has been a driver of innovation for the region. Over the past decade, the factory has made significant investments in its production line. Salonit Anhovo is committed to environmental regulation compliance and is dedicated to optimizing and reducing energy consumption. The factory uses around 60% alternative fuels and maintains a CO2 emission factor below the benchmark factor. Despite these efforts, the energy-intensive nature of clinker production has led to high energy bills, primarily for electricity.

The Challenge

Salonit Anhovo, the largest cement production factory in Slovenia, aimed to join the top 10% most energy-efficient cement factories in Europe. Despite already using around 60% alternative fuels and maintaining a CO2 emission factor below the benchmark factor, the factory faced significant challenges due to the energy-intensive nature of clinker production. The factory's electricity consumption averaged 85 GWh, with 2500 Tera Joules of energy used for clinker burning, leading to energy bills of up to 9 million EUR per year, primarily for electricity. Salonit needed to comply with European energy regulation and sought to leverage a co-financing mechanism to invest in equipment and monitoring solutions that would help meet the energy consumption reduction target.

The Solution

Salonit Anhovo opted for a wireless technology over wired technology to simplify the roll-out of an energy management system (EMS). They chose LoRaWAN for its long-range capabilities, considering the Salonit site stretches over 3 km in a valley. The factory implemented the Combox.L CI-B series of sensors for their long battery life and suitability for the harsh industrial environment. Before the EMS implementation, data was collected via a legacy SCADA system and manually registered monthly energy consumption. Now, all energy data is automatically collected via the Gemalogic EMS from Solvera Lynx. The EMS couples energy management data with production data and stores it in an online database. The system also prepares energy usage reports automatically, which are shared throughout the organization.

Operational Impact

The implementation of the LoRaWAN-based EMS has allowed Salonit Anhovo to monitor its energy efficiency performance effectively. The factory's production is strictly linked to the market situation, and energy consumption varies with the type of products they are manufacturing and how well they are doing with energy efficiency. The EMS has enabled the creation of specific alarms on energy consumption and specific KPIs which link production data with energy consumption. Special analyses are also prepared for in-depth analysis of energy consumption. The EMS also automatically prepares energy usage reports, which are shared throughout the organization. Salonit plans to introduce more reports and alarms and bring additional measurement points into the system.

Quantitative Benefit

The factory's electricity consumption averages 85 GWh, with 2500 Tera Joules of energy used for clinker burning.
Before the EMS implementation, energy data was manually registered monthly. Now, all energy data is automatically collected.
The factory's energy bills, primarily for electricity, used to reach up to 9 million EUR per year.