Current Status and Applications of Organic Rankine Cycles in the Global Cement Industry

Na-Yeong Kim; Young-Jin Kim; Tae-Hyung Kim; Jin-Sang Cho

doi:10.7844/kirr.2026.35.2.30

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Article Review

Current Status and Applications of Organic Rankine Cycles in the Global Cement Industry 해외 시멘트 산업의 유기랭킨사이클 현황

30 April 2026. pp. 30-41

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Abstract

The cement industry is an energy-intensive sector characterized by high energy consumption and significant greenhouse gas emissions. Waste heat generated during cement production can be recovered and utilized as a valuable energy source, potentially supplying approximately 20 % of the electricity demand of cement plants, while reducing electricity costs and associated emissions. Korea’s cement industry, the Steam Rankine Cycle (SRC) has been primarily employed for waste heat recovery; however, the SRC has several limitations under actual waste heat temperature and operating conditions, including efficiency loss, the potential turbine blade erosiong due to wet steam, and dependence on water-cooled condensers. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is a power generation system that uses low-boiling-point organic working fluids instead of water, making it suitable for recovering low- to medium-temperature waste heat. In addition, because it is more likely to maintain a dry or superheated vapor state during the expansion process, ORC can reduce the risk of turbine damage caused by wet vapor and is regarded as a promising alternative for overcoming the operational and structural limitations of SRC. This study comparatively reviewed the technical characteristics and applicability of SRC and the ORC, and examined overseas cases of ORC implementation in the cement industry. Further, advanced ORC configurations, such as the two-stage, hybrid, and supercritical ORC, were analyzed with respect to their characteristics and technical limitations. Based on these findings, future development directions for waste heat recovery systems are discussed to enhance energy efficiency and facilitate the low-carbon transition of the domestic cement industry.

Keywords

Cement Industry

Waste Heat Recovery

Steam Rankine Cycle

Organic Rankine Cycle

Energy efficiency

시멘트 산업은 대규모 에너지 소비와 온실가스 배출이 수반되는 대표적 에너지 다소비 산업으로, 생산공정 중 발생하는 폐열을 회수하여 유용한 에너지원으로 활용할 수 있다. 폐열을 이용한 발전은 시멘트 공장 전력 수요의 약 20 %를 대체할 수 있으며, 이를 통해 전력비 절감과 온실가스 감축이 가능하다. 국내 시멘트 산업에서는 폐열 회수를 위해 주로 증기랭킨사이클(SRC) 방식을 적용하고 있으나, 폐열의 온도 조건과 운전 특성을 고려할 때 효율 저하, 습증기 발생에 따른 터빈 손상 가능성, 수냉식 응축기 의존성 등의 한계가 존재한다. 이에 비해 유기랭킨사이클(ORC)은 저비점 유기 작동유체를 사용함으로써 저온 및 중온 폐열에서도 효율적인 에너지 회수가 가능하고, 팽창 과정에서 습증기 형성을 억제하여 터빈 신뢰성을 향상시킬 수 있어 SRC의 한계를 보완할 수 있는 대안으로 평가된다. 이에 본 연구에서는 SRC 및 ORC의 기술적 특성 및 적용 가능성을 비교·분석하고, 해외 시멘트 산업에서의 ORC 적용 사례를 조사하였다. 또한 Two-stage ORC, Hybrid ORC, 초임계 ORC 등 ORC 고도화 기술의 특성과 한계를 함께 검토하였으며, 국내 시멘트 산업의 에너지 효율 향상 및 저탄소 전환을 위한 폐열 회수 시스템의 기술 개발 방향을 제시하고자 하였다.

키워드

시멘트 산업

폐열회수

증기랭킨사이클(SRC)

유기랭킨사이클(ORC)

에너지 효율

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Information

Publisher :The Korean Institute of Resources Recycling
Publisher(Ko) :한국자원리싸이클링학회
Journal Title :Resources Recycling
Journal Title(Ko) :자원리싸이클링
Volume : 35
No :2
Pages :30-41
Received Date : 2026-03-20
Revised Date : 2026-04-08
Accepted Date : 2026-04-09
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7844/kirr.2026.35.2.30

Resources Recycling ISSN:2765-3439(Print) 2765-3447(Online) 자원리싸이클링

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