Jura Cement, the second largest cement producer in Switzerland, replaced a 25-year old cascade converter with ABB's ACS 2000 variable speed drive. The ACS 2000, rated at 550 kW, controls the clinker cooler exhaust fan of Jura Cement’s cement plant in Wildegg, Switzerland. The drive offers higher availability, reduced maintenance costs, no need to change carbon brushes, reduced spare parts stock, fast installation and commissioning, and reduced energy consumption of about 20%.
Jura Cement replaced a 25‑year‑old cascade converter with ABB's ACS 2000 variable speed drive to control the clinker cooler exhaust fan. The previous cascade drive suffered from limited speed range, high maintenance, and frequent kiln stops.
The new 550 kW, 6 kV medium‑voltage drive offered faster installation, hot commissioning in one day, reduced maintenance, and a wider 0‑100 % speed range, leading to an expected 10‑20 % energy saving and improved process control.
| Rated power | 550 kW |
|---|---|
| Output voltage | 4.0 - 6.9 kV |
| Inverter type | Multilevel Voltage Source Inverter (VSI) |
| Converter efficiency | Typically 97 % |
Jurg Hitz predicts a reduction of about 10 to 20 percent in energy consumption.
Hot commissioning can be completed in only one day.