Industry · Lime
End-to-end energy cost optimization for the lime industry
Our AI-powered platform unifies energy procurement, flexibility control, portfolio management and CO₂ reporting — so you can run your lime production cost-efficiently and sustainably.
Book a meetingIndustry-specific challenges
Energy is the second-largest cost block in lime production.
High energy costs
Lime manufacturing is one of the most energy-intensive industries. Fuels and electricity for lime kilns, crushers and mills account for up to 40% of production costs.
Volatile markets
Fluctuating power, gas and coal prices make long-term planning difficult and put competitiveness at risk.
CO₂ reporting obligations
CSRD, EU-ETS and national rules require complete and audit-proof emissions reporting — especially relevant for process-related CO₂ emissions from calcination.
Complex load profiles
Lime kilns, crushers, classifiers and mills have specific load patterns — flexibilizing them unlocks significant savings on the spot market.
Energy flexibility
Monetize flexibility. Without capex.
Lime producers have substantial controllable loads — from crushers and mills to lime kilns. avoltra turns them into revenue.
Crushers & grinding plants
Leverage the over-sizing of your crushing and grinding plants: silo and stockpile capacity lets you shift lime grinding into low-price hours — with full kiln supply.
Battery storage
Integrate battery storage for load shifting and peak shaving: charge in cheap hours, discharge in expensive ones — for maximum cost savings.
Spot market optimization
Automated schedule optimization based on EPEX Day-Ahead and Intraday prices — your mills run when power is cheapest.
Balancing energy & aFRR
Unlock additional revenue by participating in the balancing market — your controllable load becomes a revenue stream.
Energy procurement
Optimize procurement. Lower costs.
AI-powered procurement strategies for energy-intensive lime producers — data-driven, automated and tailored to your load profiles.
Real-time market data
Track power and fuel prices live and react instantly to market movements.
AI procurement recommendations
Our algorithms identify optimal moments for tranching and procurement — aligned with your load profiles.
Portfolio overview
All contracts, PPAs, grid fees and surcharges centrally managed — across every site.
Risk management
Assess and steer market risks with integrated scenarios and hedging strategies.
Platform overview
One platform. All modules. Fully integrated.
avoltra unifies every aspect of energy management — purpose-built for the lime industry.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much can a lime plant save on electricity costs with flexible mills and crushers?
That depends mainly on the mill capacity that can be operated flexibly, the silo and stockpile capacities and utilization. In our projects in the lime and cement industry, savings reached up to 97,000 euros per megawatt of flexible mill capacity per year. We calculate in advance how much is possible at your plant based on your load profiles and spot prices.
Does load shifting also work with little silo capacity or high mill utilization?
Often, yes. Even a buffer of a few hours is enough to shift grinding from expensive to cheap hours. The optimization takes into account silo fill levels per quality grade, collection times and minimum quantities, so that delivery capability and kiln supply remain secured. With mills running at almost full capacity, this lever is smaller. Grid fees, load peaks, battery storage and procurement then become more important.
Does avoltra intervene in lime kiln control or in production?
No. Lime kilns generally run continuously. The flexible assets are mainly crushers, mills, classifiers and auxiliary equipment such as pumps. avoltra creates schedules and recommendations that your operations management implements or approves. The decision on production therefore stays with you.
We already schedule according to day-ahead prices and use atypical grid usage. What additional benefit does software bring?
Many lime plants today plan around the cheapest hours using Excel lists or fixed rules in their energy management or control system. avoltra brings spot prices, peak-load time windows, capacity-based grid fees, on-site generation and storage together in real time in a single optimization, taking into account production targets, silo fill levels and equipment constraints. This complexity cannot be represented with Excel or conventional rule-based systems. The result is concrete schedules instead of mere price curves, and the savings achieved are recorded transparently. Whether the additional benefit is worthwhile for your plant can be checked in advance in a shadow simulation.