Exergy analyses in cement production applying waste fuel and mineralizer

•The exergy destroyed from calciner and rotary kiln correspond 47% and 30%.•Mineralizer saves energy.•Waste fuel provides 12% of energy demand. The cement industry is an energy-intensive industry and emits large quantities of carbon dioxide, so waste fuels could usefully substitute part of the fossil fuels. They can also help resolve air pollution problems associated with the use of fossil fuels. Other wastes have properties of reducing the thermal energy consumption of clinker production. They are named mineralizers. Then the application of both in the cement industry contributes to the reduction of environmental liabilities and provides lower cost of acquisition of fossil fuels. The aim of the present study is confirm the advantages of the application of waste SPL (spent pot lining) as a mineralizer in clinker production from an exergetic viewpoint.