Calorific value instability
Unpredictable fluctuations in atomised clay moisture, with a direct impact on product quality.
Analytical Case Study
Coal-to-gas conversion on an industrial spray dryer.
PT Cahayaputra Asa Keramik KAISAR regained full control of the spray drying process, improving stability, quality and production efficiency by eliminating coal fume contamination in the rice fields surrounding the factory.
A major ceramics plant under environmental and production pressure
PT Cahayaputra Asa Keramik KAISAR is a major ceramics producer, well known across the Indonesian market for its extensive product range. The company was founded in 1995 with Italian technology, later expanding with Chinese machinery.
Its production facility in Karawang is located in a non-industrial area, where the environmental impact of production had become the source of growing disputes with the local community.
The introduction of a Chinese spray dryer powered by a coal stove was intended to reduce energy costs. Instead, the inconsistent quality of the coal and the complexity of its management produced the opposite effect, undermining production continuity, product quality and the company’s reputation.
Environmental pressure from the local community and the inherent instability of coal made the continuity of the process unsustainable.
The coal-fired spray dryer: unsustainable production instability and environmental impact
The problem could not be attributed to a single factor, but to a combination of structural inefficiencies inherent in coal technology: variable fuel quality, complex logistics, and direct environmental impact on the surrounding area.
High environmental impact
Contamination of surrounding rice fields with wastewater and coal fumes, leading to disputes with the local community.
Hidden costs and complex logistics
High costs for storage, handling and sourcing consistent-quality coal.
Operationally burdensome management
High labour requirements for manual feeding (wheel loader), waste management and continuous maintenance.
Structural process inefficiency: the true cost of coal
During the site visit, the following were analysed: actual energy consumption, final cost per atomised product, production losses, real management costs borne by the client, operating times, handling costs, and the costs of constructing coal storage buildings and coverings.
The conclusion was clear: when logistics, maintenance, safety, emissions, waste disposal and environmental impact are factored in alongside direct energy costs, the apparent economic advantage of coal disappears entirely. Natural gas proves to be an equally competitive solution, and structurally superior in terms of stability, control and environmental footprint.
| Parameter | Previous solution | New solution |
|---|---|---|
| Spray dryer feed | Manual (wheel loader) | Automatic pipeline |
| Energy waste | >15% | 0% |
| Combustion pollution | High | Zero |
| Type of pollution | Water, odour, waste | None |
| Labour required | High | Minimal |
| Production continuity | Discontinuous | Constant |
Hot air gas generator — 13,000,000 Kcal/h
The proposed solution is a hot air gas generator rated at 13,000,000 Kcal/h, designed to deliver optimised consumption, heat recovery from the kilns, and maximum operational stability.
The objective was to eliminate the root causes of spray drying process instability by switching to a continuous, controlled natural gas supply, with zero coal combustion emissions and full environmental compliance.
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Consistent thermal stability
Uniform working temperature over time for a stable and traceable spray drying process.
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High production output
13,000,000 Kcal/h capacity with kiln heat recovery for maximum efficiency.
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Zero coal combustion emissions
Complete elimination of coal fumes, odours and waste. No impact on the surrounding rice fields.
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Integrated safety systems
Pressure switches, controls and safety systems tested in Italy before shipment.
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Continuous gas feed
Dedicated pipeline with constant flow: no interruptions for refuelling or waste management.
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Regulatory and environmental compliance
Resolution of environmental disputes with the local community and access to government incentives.
From coal stove to gas generator with no production downtime
To minimise production downtime, the entire project was planned and prepared in detail before any on-site work began.
A parallel pipeline was installed to allow the new gas generator to be fitted while minimising production downtime typically associated with plant conversions.
All components (pressure switches, safety systems and the burner) were tested and commissioned in Italy prior to shipment, ensuring a fast, trouble-free start-up once installed at the ceramics factory. The system went live on 2 June 2022.
In the Field
Photo gallery of the project
Production stability, quality and efficiency restored
Before
Inefficiency & Pollution
Coal Stove
After
+100% Production reliability
Gas generator
Following the commissioning of the new gas generator on 2 June 2022, the factory recovered production stability and atomised clay quality. Environmental contamination was eliminated at source, disputes with the local community were resolved, and the process returned to full operational control.
| Metric | Result | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Atomised clay moisture | ±0.5% | Maximum tolerance guaranteed, stable, traceable process |
| Production reliability | +100% | Required production capacity always available |
| Coal emissions | 0 | Pollution eliminated at source |
| Environmental disputes | Resolved | No contamination of surrounding rice fields |
| Operational labour | Reduced | Automatic pipeline feed, no wheel loader required |
What this case demonstrates
The KAISAR case demonstrates three fundamental principles. Process standardisation: aligning technologies and production parameters improves stability, quality and control across the entire plant. Hidden costs matter: the hidden costs linked to logistics, safety, emissions and waste disposal can make an apparently cheap technology far more expensive than expected. Finally, the regulatory and territorial context: environmental regulations and community pressure can transform underestimated issues into strategic factors for production continuity and investment success.
01
Process standardisation
Aligning technologies and production parameters improves stability, quality and control across the entire plant.
02
Hidden costs matter
Hidden costs linked to logistics, safety, emissions and waste disposal can make an apparently cheap technology far more expensive than expected.
03
Law, territory and environment
Environmental regulations and community pressure can transform underestimated issues into strategic factors for production continuity and investment success.
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