Investigating the Optimal DOD and Battery Technology for Hybrid Energy Generation Models in Cement Industry Using HOMER Pro

The cement industry is a major energy consumer, with most of its costs associated with fuel and energy requirements. While traditional thermal power plants generate electricity, they are both harmful and inefficient. In this study, battery depth of discharge (DOD) is evaluated for four different battery technologies in the context of the cement industry. The battery technologies evaluated are lead-acid (LA), lithium-ion (Li-ion), vanadium redox (VR), and nickel-iron (Ni-Fe). Five cement plants in Pakistan are considered, including Askari Cement Plant, Wah (ACPW), Bestway Cement Plant, Kalar Kahar (BCPKK), Bestway Cement Plant, Farooqia (BCPF), Bestway Cement Plant, Hattar (BCPH), and DG Cement Plant, Chakwal (DGCPC). Four hybrid energy generation models (HEGMs) were proposed using the HOMER pro software. HEGM-1 combines a diesel generator, photovoltaic system, converter, and battery system, while HEGM-2 consists of a photovoltaic system, converter, and battery system. HEGM-3 is a grid-connected version of HEGM-1 and HEGM-4 is the grid-connected version of HEGM-2. A reference base model using only grid connection is also considered. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was performed using a cumulative objective function (COF) that includes net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The main objective was to maximize COF while minimizing NPC, LCOE, and GHG emissions using optimal battery technology and DOD. The results indicate that VR is the most optimal battery technology, with a DOD of 10% achieved in DGCPC using HEGM-3. This results in a 61.49% reduction in NPC, 78.62% reduction in LCOE, and 84.00% reduction in GHG emissions compared to the base model.