Browsing by Author "Sherif, Ziyad"

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    A critical review of the decarbonisation potential in the U.K. cement industry
    (MDPI, 2025-01-10) Sherif, Ziyad; Sarfraz, Shoaib; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    As urbanisation and infrastructure development continue to drive rising cement demand, the imperative to significantly reduce emissions from this emissions-intensive sector has become increasingly urgent, especially in the context of global climate goals such as achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This review examines the status, challenges and prospects of low-carbon cement technologies and mitigation strategies through the lens of the U.K. cement industry. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining structured literature searches across academic databases with analyses of industry reports, market data and technological roadmaps to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. Following an outline of cement production, resource flows and the sector’s landscape in the U.K., the review delves into an array of decarbonisation pathways. This includes deploying the best available technologies (BATs), fuel switching, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS), clinker substitution and low-carbon cement formulations. A critical assessment is provided on the technological readiness, costs, resource availability considerations and scalability aspects governing the widespread implementation prospects of these approaches within the U.K. cement industry. Furthermore, this study proposes a roadmap that considers priority avenues and policy needs essential for facilitating the transition towards sustainable cement production aligned with the U.K.’s net zero obligations by 2050. This evaluation contributes significantly to the ongoing decarbonisation discourse by holistically mapping technological solutions and strategic imperatives tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the U.K. cement sector.
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    Benchmarking of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in cement production: a case study
    (Springer, 2024-02-02) Sarfraz, Shoaib; Sherif, Ziyad; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    In the pursuit of economic growth and value creation, foundation industries including cement, metals, glass, chemicals, paper, and ceramics face formidable challenges related to energy usage, emissions, and resource consumption in their manufacturing operations, all while striving to achieve ambitious Net Zero carbon and green targets. To overcome these challenges and propel sustainable progress, benchmarking emerges as a powerful ally. This study performs a benchmarking analysis of energy use and CO2 emissions for a UK cement plant as well as best available techniques (BAT) investigation to identify opportunities for performance improvement in crucial areas such as energy usage and environmental sustainability. The research utilises industrial data from a 2850 tonne per day capacity dry process cement plant. Key energy and emissions parameters, including thermal and electrical energy intensity, recovered energy and CO2 intensity, are computed per tonne of cement produced along with capacity utilisation across major process stages including raw material grinding, clinkerisation, and cement grinding. Comprehensive data sourced directly from the manufacturer is compared against literature benchmarks for global averages and best practices. Although surpassing global average values, the plant lags European best practices across all metrics, signalling room for substantial improvement. Assessment of relevant BATs for the cement industry reveals prospects to integrate vertical roller mills for cement grinding and use Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) at the clinkerisation stage. Adopting these techniques could reduce the electrical energy intensity of clinkerisation by 51% and cement grinding electrical intensity by 30%, surpassing benchmarks. While limited to a single cement plant, the study provides a standardised methodology that could be replicated across foundation industries to enable performance tracking and highlight efficiency gaps. The benchmarking approach developed can guide the implementation of energy conservation measures and the adoption of best practices by the cement industry to reduce its carbon footprint.
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    Driving sustainability: assessing KPI effectiveness in the Saudi chemical industry
    (Springer, 2024-12-31) Alfarsi, Alaa; Sherif, Ziyad; Jagtap, Sandeep; Gupta, Sumit; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    This study explores the relationship between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and environmental performance improvement within the Saudi chemical industry. Against the backdrop of global sustainability imperatives and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which promotes sustainability for economic diversification, this research aims to assess the effectiveness of KPIs in driving environmental sustainability practices. The motivation for this study stems from the identified gaps in the systematic implementation and utilisation of KPIs and the lack of awareness regarding certain aspects of environmental impact management within the industry in the Kingdom. The methodology involved a structured survey administered to a diverse range of chemical manufacturing companies, followed by rigorous data analysis using descriptive evaluation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), reliability analysis, and t-tests. The results revealed insights into pollution areas, KPI utilisation, methods for pollution assessment, alignment with strategic goals, and governance regulations. Descriptive analysis highlighted air quality management as a priority, with notable attention to water and land pollution, while quantitative analysis confirmed the significance of KPIs in driving environmental performance improvement in the area. However, it also unveiled the absence of a systematic approach to implementing and utilising KPIs effectively, coupled with a lack of awareness regarding certain aspects of environmental impact management, consequently leading to uncertainty. Overall, this study contributes to advancing sustainability efforts within the Saudi chemical sector, providing actionable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers.
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    Energy benchmarking of manufacturing processes in foundation industries
    (Elsevier, 2024-01-12) Sarfraz, Shoaib; Sherif, Ziyad; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    Benchmarking energy consumption and utilisation has become a crucial tool for the manufacturing sector in the drive towards sustainability. However, incorporating industrial perspectives into benchmarking efforts is necessary to identify effective and relevant metrics. This study aims to evaluate the metrics for benchmarking energy utilisation within the foundation industries by deploying two surveys while incorporating the views of industry and subject matter experts. The study also involved conducting interviews with metal foundries to investigate the energy consumption of their processes and their metrics utilisation. The findings indicate the need for an accurate and reliable method to extract values for energy benchmarking of manufacturing processes. Proper procedures must be in place to ensure the data is collected consistently and uniformly across different processes and organisations. The deployment of effective and relevant metrics through industrial prospection will help ensure the benchmarking process is meaningful, actionable and supports the goal of a more sustainable future.
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    Greening foundation industries: shared processes and sustainable pathways
    (MDPI, 2023-10-01) Sherif, Ziyad; Sarfraz, Shoaib; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    Foundation industries, encompassing metals, ceramics, cement, paper, chemicals, and glass, play a vital role in driving industrial economies. Despite their pivotal role, a comprehensive understanding of shared processes and their impact on resource utilisation remains elusive. This study employs a novel approach, leveraging an adapted Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM), to unveil the core processes commonly utilised among these industries. These processes are then evaluated based on their influence on energy consumption and CO2 emission. The investigation revealed 18 common processes categorised by their processing principles, their expected outcomes, and the equipment used. Remarkably, these processes emerge as significant contributors to both energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Notably, pyroprocessing emerged as a prevalent practice in five out of the six sectors, while the production of dried products and crushers and mills were the most frequently encountered outcomes and equipment used, respectively. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for foundation industries, emphasising potential areas for enhancing manufacturing operations to reduce environmental damage and facilitate knowledge transfer among the various sectors. Furthermore, the study identifies shared abatement options that can be collectively implemented across industries to achieve more substantial reductions in environmental footprint. By identifying and prioritising the most impactful processes in foundation industries, this study provides a strategic footing for advancing sustainable and efficient manufacturing practices within these critical sectors.
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    Identification of the right environmental KPIs for manufacturing operations: towards a continuous sustainability framework
    (MDPI, 2022-11-01) Sherif, Ziyad; Sarfraz, Shoaib; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    Sustainable manufacturing has grown into a major subject of discussion between individuals and organisations around the world. This is attributed to the recognition of the urgency in advancing sustainable manufacturing due to the diminishing non-renewable resources, stricter regulations related to environmental impacts and the increasing consumer preference for environmental-friendly products. However, manufacturing companies have been confronted with a decision on which KPIs to select for appraising their processes, and how they should interpret these KPIs in transforming their processes towards a sustainable future. This paper presents a structured framework for the manufacturing industries to identify the right environmental KPIs. It includes building a database for environmental KPIs, categorising, ranking, and composing a final KPI set for specified targets. The developed method allows for the selection of the most effective KPI in representing a specified target as well as identifying unmonitored environmental aspects. The framework has been corroborated by subject matter and industry experts in which the potential benefits have been verified.
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    Navigating circular economy and digitalisation: a comparative study of manufacturing strategies in the UK and Saudi Arabia
    (Elsevier, 2024-05-29) Sarfraz, Shoaib; Sherif, Ziyad; Alshammari, Serhan; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    This study presents an integrated framework for evaluating manufacturing maturity in embracing circular economy principles and digital technologies, with a focus on comparing best practices between the UK and Saudi Arabia. The framework incorporates circular economy principles, such as waste elimination, material circulation, and nature regeneration, across product, process, and business model innovations. It also encompasses key Industry 4.0 technologies that facilitate smart and connected manufacturing. Utilising secondary data sources, the research maps the capabilities of selected manufacturers in both countries across categories including operations and technology. The findings indicate that the UK leads in most areas due to its sustained emphasis on sustainability and digitalisation over the past decade. In contrast, Saudi Arabia exhibits a lack of concrete policies and investments in these domains but demonstrates the potential for adapting UK practices to its unique context. The study proposes a staged roadmap to guide Saudi Arabia in a systematic transition towards circular and digital manufacturing, emphasising coordinated efforts in policy, infrastructure development, skills enhancement, and industry collaboration. This comparative assessment offers valuable insights into manufacturing best practices and opportunities for improvement.
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    Potentials for energy savings and carbon dioxide emissions reduction in cement industry
    (Springer, 2025-01-07) Sarfraz, Shoaib; Sherif, Ziyad; Drewniok, Michal; Bolson, Natanael; Cullen, Jonathan; Purnell, Phil; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    Cement production accounts for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, 3 to 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, and 7% of global industrial energy use. Cement demand is continuously increasing due to the rising worldwide population and urbanisation trends, as well as infrastructure development needs. By 2050, global cement production is expected to increase by 12 to 23% from its current level. Following the net-zero carbon 2050 agenda, both energy and emissions must be significantly reduced. Different production routes exist to produce cement that differs in energy intensity as well as carbon intensity. Similarly, a range of values exists related to energy and emissions for the major cement production stages i.e., raw meal preparation, clinkerisation and cement grinding. The same is the case with cement types produced. This study presents a literature review-based investigation and comparison of cement production practices in terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. This will provide perspectives to the cement industry by identifying approaches that are the least energy and emissions intensive.
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    Printed carbon nanotube and graphene heaters for drying ceramics
    (Springer, 2023-02-11) Sherif, Ziyad; Patsavellas, John; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    The ceramic manufacturing process has been subject to many advances with the evolution of new technologies. However, there are still some delays and losses in the fundamental process which may be mitigated by deploying alternative technical tools and methods. One such stage is the sensitive pre-drying phase in which ceramic bodies can sustain drying defects such as micro-cracking and fractures due to lack of fine process control. This project investigates the feasibility of using Longwave infrared (LWIR) radiation emitted by a printed Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene (CNTG) heater for pre-drying a clay sample. The CNTG heater emits infrared radiation with a relatively low DC voltage power supply. By radiant heat transfer, homogeneous and uniform drying has been observed in the sample. The penetrative capability of the infrared energy which warms the inside of the sample is presented, as along with the results of comparing the CNTG heater with a silicone mat heater that also emits infrared radiation. The study establishes that the CNTG heater is not only capable of reducing the lead time of ceramics drying using penetrative IR, but also as an efficient and versatile option that can be economically deployed in the pre-drying stage of a ceramic manufacturing process.
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    Towards framework development for benchmarking energy efficiency in foundation industries: a case study of granulation process
    (Springer, 2023-02-14) Sarfraz, Shoaib; Sherif, Ziyad; Jolly, Mark R.; Salonitis, Konstantinos
    The manufacturing sector depends mainly on the foundation industries which have a major contribution to the country’s economy. These foundation industries include glass, metals, ceramics, cement, paper, and chemical sectors that support the demands of our modern lives. On the other hand, these industries are energy intensive. Energy requirements in foundation industries can be improved by benchmarking and comparing the actual energy consumption of individual processes with their theoretical minimum value. In this study, an energy taxonomy approach has been used to identify the elements responsible for energy consumption in the granulation process. Bond’s law has been used to calculate the theoretical minimum energy consumption of one such individual process, i.e., granulation—a common process among the foundation industries which accounts for an average of 50% of the total energy consumption. A framework has also been developed that can be used by foundation industries to benchmark their energy efficiency and that provides an insight into the practical and theoretical potential for reducing their energy requirements.