Economy & Market

Most manufacturers have started moving towards blended cements

Published

8 years ago

January 9, 2019

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Do you still see a preference for OPC in certain segments of the cement market such as institutional or in certain geographies? How do you deal with these national preferences?
While there is an improvement in the acceptance of blended cements, there are certain segments like RMCs, select infrastructure projects, where the preference continues to be for OPC due to the cost economics and the flexibility available to the contractor. We continue to work with our customers, doing trials with our blended products – PSC, CHD and PCC to get customers to move to blended cements which are more environment friendly and more durable in the long run. We also push GGBS in the RMCs to get slag presence in this segment, from where we can later evaluate the opportunity to supply a slag cement product specific to the RMCs if the cost economics work out in favor of it.

What is your company’s overall product mix – OPC, PPC and PSC? To what extent is this mix is influenced by market preferences and to what extent by availability of fly ash and/or slag?
JSW Cement is India’s leading domestic producer of green cement. The overall product mix is primarily based on Portland Slag Cement (PSC) and its variants. We also have a couple of variants of high grade blended cements – Concreel HD (CHD) and a composite cement – Comp Cem, (PCC) both of which have high one day strengths and faster setting, comparable to other competitive OPC cements available in the market. The mix is largely influenced by the market preferences and we continue to educate our customers to move towards a greener variant of blended cement which is our PSC, CHD and PCC.

Having said this, there are also some key projects where we supply OPC, which is more in projects where we want to have a presence and where we feel there is a long term opportunity with such customers.

How do you view the historical growth rates of PSC & PPC in your markets? How do you project this growth in the coming five years?
The blended market space has been expanding over the last few years with many companies trying to conserve the lifetimes of their mines and also to get into a more environmentally friendly product space. JSW Cement, the largest manufacturer of Portland Slag Cement (PSC), has chalked out an ambitious expansion plan to enhance its production capacity in the coming years. JSW currently produces green cement variants – PSC, CHD & PCC at our manufacturing facilities – Vijayanagar (Karnataka), Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh), Dolvi (Maharashtra) & Salboni (West Bengal) units to service the demand in the South, West and Eastern regions.

In the last year, our PSC has grown by more than 30 per cent, and the premium variants much higher on a year-on-year basis. We are on the process of commissioning a new greenfield 1.2 million tonnes per annum new state-of-the-art plant in Jajpur, Odisha. We expect to optimise our production there by December 2019.

We are planning to double our cement production capacity in the next few years to meet the growing demand for "Green" Cement in the eastern region by a combination of brownfield expansions at our new facility at Salboni, West Bengal and Shiva Cement, Odisha. These projects are expected to be commissioned in various phases until 2023. We are also debottlenecking our plants in South and evaluating opportunities for a GU in Tamil Nadu.

What are the applications or regions where you would recommend use of PPC/PSC to your customers and why?
PPC and PSC both are environment-friendly cements as they use industrial bye-products as an input. PPC classically uses fly ash and PSC uses slag generated in the blast furnace of steel plants.

With a better impermeability, lower heat of hydration and improved resistance to chemicals PPC and PSC cements are largely used in concreting applications. PPC offers good resistance against sulphate attack and hence, it is used in hydraulic structures, marine structures, construction near seashores, dam construction, etc. While with improved workability, higher strength and better chemical resistance PSC is a superior product and is usually lighter in color than OPC. PSC is preferred in applications where the building is exposed to high moisture, salt (chloride or sulphate) or chemicals. For example, marine structures, sewage treatment-related buildings, etc. We also offer PCC- Composite cement – which offers the best of both PPC and PSC and recommend this to our channel, influencers and associated IHBs and contractors.

We have heard a lot about peculiar customer perceptions about colour and smell of cement in some markets? Have you experienced this phenomena? Are these related to presence of slag/fly ash in cement? How do you deal with such idiosyncratic ideas?
We have come across geographies exhibiting a color preference, like for example the South – particularly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana – wanting a darker shade of cement – which they associate with better or higher strength cement. Partly this is also due to the historic availability of OPC in these markets which has attuned the customer preference to the darker shade.

A diametrically opposite view has been observed in the eastern markets where the lighter shade cement is associated with better quality and the premium cements there be it from JSW or any other brand is always a shade lighter than across the rest of the country. This also can probably be due to the availability of slag based cements in the eastern markets traditionally and it being promoted by the bigger brands there like Lafarge, ACC, etc.

Recently BIS have permitted composite cements to be manufactured and sold in India. What is your strategy for introducing this product in the market and what are the manufacturing and marketing challenges involved in this?
We welcome BIS’s decision to permit manufacturing and selling of composite cement in India. In fact, we have already introduced composite cement – which is a blend of fly ash and slag based cement- offering the best of both PSC and PPC – to our customers in Karnataka and more recently in Salboni. We also plan to make it the core product from Jhajpur, our upcoming plant in Odisha.

The feedback from the markets where we have introduced this product, has been very positive and we observe good repeat purchases at our dealer outlets. The key influencers like engineers and contractors who understand the product and its strengths also have given favourable recommendations to this product.

The supply chain of both fly ash and slag have now become an integral part of cement manufacturer. In the light of this how do you see the current demand and supply scenarios of these two commodities – Fly ash and slag? What are the price movements of these 2 commodities? Are you recommending any regulatory help in ensuring more liberal supply of fly ash?
Most cement manufacturers have started moving towards blended cements over the last few years and with this trend continuing, both fly ash and slag will become more and more important in cement manufacturing. With the capacity additions in East, we already observe an increase in slag cost there, and this has resulted in the overall cement prices moving up in the East.

The slowdown in thermal capacity addition could result in availability constraints for fly-ash in the long term, which could affect some of the manufacturers who have only PPC as their blended cement offering. The outlook is relatively better for Slag considering that most Steel manufacturers have shown an inclination to add capacity going ahead.

– BS SRINIVASALU REDDY

Economy & Market

Leonard Unveils Dual-Head Robotic Arm for Hazardous Industrial Demolition

Published

2 hours ago

October 30, 2026

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Leonard unveils Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve industrial safety and reduce shutdown time by up to 50 per cent.

Industrial robotics and refractory services specialist Leonard has launched Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve safety, accelerate maintenance and reduce shutdown times in hazardous industrial environments. The system made its debut at Lisahally Power Station in Northern Ireland, removing 25 tonnes of slag material within hours.

Developed for the cement, metals, waste-to-energy and petrochemical industries, Descender Duo enables remote-controlled refractory demolition, anchor cutting and welding, and refractory spraying inside boilers, calciners and silos. Its vertical-access design eliminates the need for personnel to enter confined, high-risk spaces during these operations.

Weighing less than two tonnes, the pre-assembled system requires an access opening of just 1.2 m². Supported by an external overhead hoist, it uses electrically operated hydraulic stabilising legs to secure itself inside vessels. The robotic arm offers 360-degree rotation and is suited to vessels approximately 9 m in diameter, with its operating reach extendable through strategically positioned access points.

Equipped with two independently controlled robotic heads, Descender Duo can perform identical or different tasks simultaneously, including refractory demolition, anchor cutting and spraying. Its remote-control system incorporates live camera feeds, allowing operators to monitor operations without entering hazardous environments.

According to Leonard, the technology can deliver time savings of up to 50 per cent compared with manual methods. Its ability to operate at temperatures exceeding 100°C allows maintenance to begin as early as 24 hours after burner shutdown. An all-electric power supply further supports cleaner and more cost-efficient operations.

First Deployment Demonstrates Shutdown Efficiency

The system was first deployed at Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor’s (BWSC) Lisahally Power Station in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The facility generates electricity from grade C waste wood, supplying approximately 40,000 homes and businesses.

Leonard and BWSC collaborated to develop a customised solution for the plant’s 26-metre furnace, where extensive external pipework created significant access challenges.

Mark Leonard, Managing Director, Leonard, said, “It required new thinking and rather than step away from the problem we were committed to solving it for the customer, with the customer. We’re relentless in our approach to tackling complex challenges, head-on. We took our years of cement plant experience, coupled with our working knowledge of the BWSC plant, and designed, engineered and tested a completely new vertical solution within just seven weeks from that initial conversation with the customer. That solution was the Descender Duo as we know it today.”

Traditionally, the furnace required a cooling period of up to 36 hours before preparatory work could begin, followed by manual slag removal using rope-access personnel. With Descender Duo, work commenced just 24 hours after shutdown, reducing downtime by up to one day.

The deployment removed 25 tonnes of slag within hours, eliminated the need for at least six workers to enter the hazardous furnace interior and saved 26 hours in the shutdown programme.

“The effectiveness exceeded expectation,” said Martin Doran, Plant Manager at Lisahally Power Station.

“When the Descender Duo concept was first discussed, we had to spend some time with the team from Leonard looking at how it was going to be moved into the furnace. Every site is different and that presented its own challenges, but nothing that the team couldn’t overcome. Once it was installed we were hugely impressed by its efficiency.”

Expanding Industrial Robotics Applications

Descender Duo joins Leonard’s existing portfolio of robotic maintenance solutions, including the Axis horizontal-access arm, Nano confined-space access arm, Charger cement mill media recharging system and Calibre cement mill media grading system.

Headquartered in Northern Ireland, Leonard provides robotic refractory demolition, installation, inspection and industrial maintenance services across the cement, metals, energy, biomass, glass and civil engineering sectors.

Formerly known as G Leonard, the company has more than 35 years of industry experience and operates across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The latest innovation reinforces Leonard’s focus on replacing hazardous manual processes with robotic systems that improve workforce safety, enhance operational efficiency and minimise industrial downtime.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

9 hours ago

October 30, 2026

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Martin Engineering names Ashwini Khunte India General Manager to strengthen operations and drive growth across key bulk material handling sectors.

Pune

Martin Engineering, a global provider of bulk material handling solutions, has appointed Ashwini Khunte as General Manager of its India business, strengthening its leadership as the company expands its presence across the country’s cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure sectors.

Khunte brings more than a decade of experience with Martin Engineering, having joined its Indian operations in 2013 as a Design Engineer, shortly after the company established its presence in the country in 2012.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, she spent her initial five years developing bulk material handling solutions in collaboration with the company’s operations team. During this period, she gained extensive experience addressing operational challenges in the steel, cement and coal industries. She subsequently moved into project engineering, managing major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) projects from initial enquiry to commissioning. Her responsibilities later expanded to overseeing Martin Engineering’s conveyor product portfolio in India, involving customer engagement, technical presentations and site visits across heavy industries.

In 2024, Khunte was promoted to Head of Sales & Marketing for the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) region. The position broadened her international market exposure and strengthened her strategic and commercial leadership capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashwini Khunte, General Manager, Martin Engineering India, said: “India represents a tremendous opportunity for Martin Engineering. The country’s continued investment in cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure is creating increasing demand for safer, cleaner and more productive bulk material handling, and that’s exactly what we do. My priority will be to build on the strong foundations already established in India, while continuing to develop our people, strengthen customer relationships and bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by our industry.”

Robert Whetstone, Area Vice President – EMEAI, Martin Engineering, highlighted Khunte’s technical expertise, market understanding and leadership experience.

“Ashwini brings an exceptional combination of technical understanding, customer knowledge and commercial leadership. She has grown as Martin Engineering has grown, and has consistently demonstrated outstanding capability to transform her expertise into practical solutions. Her knowledge of the Indian market, together with her international experience, makes her ideally suited to lead our India business through its next stage of growth for years to come.”

Since establishing its Indian business in 2012, Martin Engineering has expanded its local workforce, manufacturing capabilities and dealership network. The company supplies conveyor products, transfer point solutions, material flow aids, training and technical support to bulk material handling industries. Khunte’s appointment positions the company to further strengthen customer relationships and expand its solutions portfolio in India’s growing industrial and infrastructure markets.

Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

Published

2 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

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Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com