Concrete

Ambuja Cements and ACC invests in 4.0 for â€˜Plants of Tomorrowâ€™ programme

Published

3 years ago

October 19, 2021

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Ambuja Cements and ACC have invested in Industry 4.0 under its ??lants of Tomorrow??programme. These initiative aims to make cement manufacturing more efficient through better plant optimisation, higher plant availability and a safer working environment. The Plants of Tomorrow??programme is part of parent company Holcim?? Strategy 2022 ????uilding for Growth?? which was launched globally in July 2019.

It?? a four-year programme that aims to create a global network of over 270 integrated cement plants and grinding stations in more than 50 countries by applying automation technologies and robotics, artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance and digital twin technologies to the entire production processes.

The ??lants of Tomorrow??initiative is simultaneously implemented in other key markets for Holcim in Switzerland, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Russia.

Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India Holcim and Managing Director and CEO of Ambuja Cements Limited said, ??s an industry leader we are looking at ??lants of Tomorrow??as a big opportunity and responsibility to place India on the map of global cement manufacturing. This path-breaking project will lead to transformative outcomes not just in terms of operational and financial gains but also make cement manufacturing in the country environmentally sustainable and create a safe work environment for our colleagues across all our plants.??/p>

As compared to a conventional cement plant, the ??lants of Tomorrow??certified operation promises 15 to 20 % more operational efficiency, the company said.

Furthermore, the company also has initiated another Plants of Tomorrow initiative, called as PACT – the Performance and Collaboration Tool ??which effectively focuses operational decisions based on data about weekly operations, monthly performances, projects and actions.

Both companies have already implemented tools such as Distributed Control System (DCS), Tool Location System (TLS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to increase plant efficiency and uptime. The companies have also introduced Internet of Things (IoT) across the manufacturing value chain by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning through the project EDGE to facilitate rapid deployment of predictive models and seamless connectivity with plant data sources.

The company stated that the ??lants of Tomorrow??programme also encompasses several initiatives that lead to predictive quality (cement fineness, cement quality) and predictive maintenance (VRM failure, refractory life) and also help optimise energy consumption per ton of cement and enable cost savings.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement Faces Growth Challenges Amid Cyclones and Monsoons

In contrast, the housing segment demonstrated robust growth.

Published

2 days ago

January 24, 2025

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UltraTech Cement, one of India’s largest cement manufacturers, highlighted in its Q3 exchange filing the growing impact of climate change and stringent environmental policies on its operations. Key segments, including infrastructure and housing, have been affected by severe weather events and pollution control measures.

The infrastructure segment witnessed a decline, largely attributed to pollution control measures in Delhi and surrounding regions. These regulations, aimed at curbing air pollution, slowed construction activities and delayed multiple infrastructure projects, reducing demand for cement. Additional challenges included farmers’ protests, completion of major projects like the RRTS, aggregate manufacturer strikes, and labour shortages during festive periods.

In contrast, the housing segment demonstrated robust growth across most regions, except Odisha, which was heavily impacted by Cyclone Dana. The cyclone caused significant disruptions, delaying construction and halting ongoing projects. Similarly, southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh faced growth slowdowns due to prolonged monsoon seasons and cyclone impacts.

UltraTech reported a 17% year-on-year decline in net profit, amounting to Rs 14.69 billion, despite a 3% rise in revenue from operations to Rs 171.93 billion. However, the company’s profit exceeded Street estimates of Rs 11.95 billion, and revenue surpassed expectations of Rs 168.54 billion.

(ET)

Concrete

Dalmia Bharat’s Q3 FY25 Net Profit Plunges by 75.19%

The company’s net consolidated total income dropped by 12.17% to Rs 32.18 billion in Q3 FY25.

Published

3 days ago

January 23, 2025

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Dalmia Bharat, a leading cement manufacturing company, reported a sharp decline of 75.19 per cent in its net consolidated profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2025. The company disclosed in a BSE filing that its profit after tax stood at Rs 660 million in Q3 FY25, compared to Rs 2.66 billion in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

The company’s net consolidated total income dropped by 12.17 per cent to Rs 32.18 billion in Q3 FY25, down from Rs 36.64 billion in the corresponding quarter last year.

According to Puneet Dalmia, the managing director and CEO, India experienced a slightly slower start to the year following multiple years of high growth. He assured that the company’s capacity expansion plans were progressing as expected, with a target of reaching 49.5 million tonnes (MnT) by the end of the fiscal year.

Chief Financial Officer Dharmender Tuteja highlighted that cement demand growth in Q3 fell short of earlier expectations. He noted that the company’s volumes declined by 2 per cent year-on-year, while EBITDA fell by 34.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 5.11 billion, primarily due to continued softness in cement prices. However, he expressed optimism for the coming quarters, citing improving demand and signs of a positive trend in prices.

During the quarter, the company completed debottlenecking projects at its facilities in Rajgangpur, Odisha (0.6 MnT), and Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh (0.3 MnT), increasing its total clinker capacity to 23.5 MnT. Additionally, it commissioned a 4 MW captive solar power plant in Medinipur, West Bengal, and 46 MW renewable energy capacity under Group Captive, bringing its total operational renewable energy capacity to 252 MW.

Concrete

Gadchiroli Added to JSW’s List in Maharashtra’s Steel City Plan

A significant portion of this investment is likely to be concentrated in Nagpur and Gadchiroli.

Published

4 days ago

January 22, 2025

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On the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, the state government signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 3.35 trillion for industrial investments in Vidarbha. By 8:30 pm (Indian time), the largest deal was secured with JSW Group, involving investment proposals worth Rs 3 trillion, which are expected to create 10,000 jobs. A significant portion of this investment is likely to be concentrated in Nagpur and Gadchiroli.

The Pune-based Kalyani Group, with interests in the defence and steel sectors, also signed an MoU for an investment proposal in Gadchiroli. According to a source from the state’s industries department, there is a possibility that the company will establish a defence production unit there.