Championing energy efficiency in cement production with ei³’s data science solutions

The Challenge

As the leading European cement manufacturer, the company faced a critical business challenge — the delicate balance between maximizing profits and minimizing costs. Energy consumption emerged as a major cost, constituting 30% of the expenses in cement production. Committed to refining operations, the company embarked on a comprehensive initiative to standardize and optimize procedures across its manufacturing facilities.

The Solution

Leveraging the expertise of ei³'s Data Science team proved to be a game-changer for the cement manufacturing company. The team conducted detailed analysis of operational patterns across multiple facilities to identify efficiency opportunities.

Through this analysis, they discovered that certain factories were performing significantly better than others. The key differentiator was the presence of experienced operators who, through their seasoned judgment, made exceptional choices to optimize energy use while maintaining production quality.

The ei³ team focused on capturing these expert insights and developing a system that could share this knowledge across all facilities. The system functions as a proactive advisor—observing operations, recommending efficiency actions to less experienced operators based on practices from their seasoned counterparts, and providing a collaborative platform for operators to understand the reasoning behind recommendations.

The implementation followed a structured approach:

Step 1: Historical Analysis 

Developed mathematical models to explain and predict mill behavior.

Step 2: Optimization:

Integrated models with operator behaviors to formulate an optimization strategy.

Step 3: Recommended Settings:

Implemented an automated machine learning process for widespread accessibility to prediction models.

Results

• €18 Million Annual Savings: Across the entire European manufacturing network through optimized energy management.

• 40% Reduction in Energy Consumption: Select factories achieved this significant improvement compared to industry averages while maintaining identical production volumes through standardized expert operator practices.

About the Manufacturer

A leading global cement manufacturer and sustainable building materials provider. This company generated $30.6 billion annual revenue in 2022, employs 60,000 people, and maintains a presence in 70 countries. The company is recognized for its contributions to the construction industry and commitment to environmental responsibility.