10 MW waste‑heat recovery plant launched at Dotternhausen cement works

Dotternhausen, Germany, August 18, 2025

News Summary

A 10 MW industrial waste‑heat recovery system has been installed at the Holcim cement plant in Dotternhausen, Germany. Heat is taken from the rotary kiln exhaust via a heat exchanger mounted at about 70 metres and transported by a high‑temperature thermal oil cycle to plant processes, local heat networks and an on‑site ORC power unit. The central generator is a large‑scale ORC designed for industrial duty. E.ON delivers the project under an Energy‑as‑a‑Service contract, with financial support from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, aiming to cut Scope 2 emissions and enable wider roll‑out.

New 10 MW waste‑heat recovery plant to reuse kiln exhaust at Dotternhausen cement works

A new industrial heat recovery project will capture roughly 10 megawatts of unused thermal energy from the rotary kiln exhaust at a cement plant in Dotternhausen, Germany. The project is being delivered by three industry partners: the site operator, an energy infrastructure company, and a specialist in Organic Rankine Cycle technology. The scheme combines a high-temperature heat‑extraction system with a large-scale ORC unit intended to produce power and supply useful process heat.

What the project will do

Heat will be taken from the kiln exhaust at about 70 metres above ground using a purpose-built heat exchanger. That captured thermal energy will be moved by a high‑temperature thermal oil cycle to several heat sinks on site. The recovered heat is planned for direct use in internal cement production processes, for potential feed into nearby district heating networks, and to generate electricity through an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power unit.

Key equipment and technology

The power island centres on a recently developed, heavy‑duty ORC machine designed for large industrial workloads. The new ORC system is aimed specifically at heavy industrial applications and is claimed to keep turbine efficiency high both when running at full power and when operating at partial load. This ability to retain efficiency across a range of outputs is intended to help the plant handle fluctuating heat supply from the kiln and still deliver steady performance.

Business and delivery model

One partner will carry out planning, construction, finance, operation and maintenance under an Energy‑as‑a‑Service arrangement. Under this model, the plant operator is not expected to provide up‑front capital for the installation. The contract is designed to shift the initial investment and technical responsibility to the energy provider while the industrial site gains immediate access to the recovered heat and power.

Expected benefits and wider aims

The installation is presented as a measure to cut operational energy costs and to reduce emissions from electricity and heat use at the site. Project backers highlight improvements in energy efficiency, reductions in greenhouse gas output — including lower Scope 2 emissions — and longer‑term cost savings. The scheme is also put forward as an example of how smart use of industrial waste heat can support decarbonisation in energy‑intensive sectors and how recovered heat can be integrated into local energy systems.

Funding, rollout and future plans

The work has received backing from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). Planning already includes options for additional rollouts of similar systems at other sites, indicating an intention to expand the approach beyond the initial plant if performance and economics prove favourable.

Roles and responsibilities

The industrial operator provides the site and the source of waste heat; the energy infrastructure partner is responsible for delivering and operating the plant under the service contract; and the ORC specialist supplies the central power technology and the associated engineering. Together the partners aim to combine site knowledge, project delivery capability and ORC experience to turn otherwise wasted thermal energy into useful heat and electricity.

Why it matters

Cement making is an energy‑intensive process with large amounts of high‑temperature exhaust gas. Capturing even part of this energy and putting it to use on site or in nearby heating networks reduces the need for purchased energy and can cut lifecycle emissions. If the technical and commercial design performs as planned, the installation could serve as a working model for similar plants seeking to lower energy use and emissions without large up‑front capital from the industrial operator.

FAQ

Key project features

Feature	Detail
Location	Dotternhausen cement plant, Germany
Partners	Plant operator, energy infrastructure provider, ORC technology supplier
Recovered thermal capacity	~10 MW
Heat source	Rotary kiln exhaust gases
Heat extraction point	Heat exchanger at ~70 m height
Heat transport	High‑temperature thermal oil cycle
Power technology	Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) with a large eP1000-style unit
Delivery model	Energy‑as‑a‑Service (no up‑front capital from the site operator)
Funding support	Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Intended benefits	On-site heat reuse, potential district heating feed, power generation, energy cost savings, and reduced Scope 2 emissions

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Additional Resources

• CemNet: Orcan Energy and E.ON launch WHR project at Dotternhausen plant
• Wikipedia: Waste heat recovery
• Global Cement: New waste‑heat recovery project at Holcim’s Dotternhausen cement plant
• Google Search: Dotternhausen eP1000 ORC Orcan Energy
• World Cement: Holcim, E.ON and Orcan Energy launch joint large‑scale project
• Google Scholar: waste heat recovery cement ORC
• Orcan Energy: News & press (company updates and product info)
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Organic Rankine cycle (search)
• E.ON: Media & press (Energy‑as‑a‑Service announcements)
• Google News: Dotternhausen waste heat recovery Holcim