Economy & Market

Designing Green Cement Plants

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

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SP Deolakar explains the concept of greenhouse gases, talks of sustainable development and how all these issues should be handled with respect to the manufacture of cement, in his new book Designing Green Cement Plants.Pradeep Kapoor reviews the book.

In recent years, a lot of attention is being focused on manufacturing cement in an even more environment friendly manner. Efforts are being made for reducing the adverse effects of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, and for ensuring development in a sustainable manner. In the years to come, this issue is likely to attract a lot more attention from the policy makers and the general populace, too. It will become practically impossible to construct new cement plants or to operate existing plants unless they meet the civil society’s requirements of sustainable development and low generation of greenhouse gases. Designers, manufacturers and operators of cement plants will have to understand this subject and its implications, and equip themselves to fulfill the requirements of the emerging statutory regulations and the requirements of civil society.

Keeping this requirement in mind, SP Deolalkar’s Designing Green Cement Plants is a timely and welcome publication, which brings under one cover, all the relevant issues associated with this very important and very sensitive subject.

The author has explained the concept of greenhouse gases, of sustainable development and how all these issues should be handled with respect to the manufacture of cement, in a most coherent manner…

The book is divided into eleven sections, with each section having a number of chapters. Each section deals with a particular aspect of a green cement plant and the various chapters of each section go into sufficient details to enable the reader to fully understand the subject. ASII- relevant issues like blended cements, raw materials, alternate fuels, waste heat recovery systems, cement substitutes, etc, have all been covered. The book also contains chapters on capital costs and costs of production associated with green cement plants. An interesting chapter is on Carbon Capture and Storage System in which the author discusses future possibilities anchored in technologies already developed or under development. It is evident that with the passage of time, regulatory requirements would become increasingly stiff and such futuristic technologies would become integral part of cement plants.

The author, SP Deolalkar, has spent his entire professional life designing, manufacturing, installing and operating cement plants. The wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise that he has garnered in a lifetime has been distilled into this brilliantly produced and eminently readable book. Actually, this is a must read book for anybody connected with designing, manufacturing, operating modern cement plants anywhere in the world. It is a worthy successor to the author’s first book, Handbook for Designing Cement Plants.

Book reviewed by: Pradeep Kapoor, Former Managing Director & CEO, FL Smidth. Former Vice Chairman/Managing Director/CEO, ABG Cement.

About the author

Deolalkar is a first class graduate in Mech. and Elect. Engineering. He is also a Graduate of the British Institute of Management. He joined the Associated Cement Companies, in 1956 and has been associated with the cement industry ever since, a long innings of over 50 years. He has had firsthand working experience in cement plants, in the operation, erection and commissioning of new plants. He later worked with ACC-Vickers-Babcock, a subsidiary of ACC engaged in manufacture of Babcock boilers and cement machinery. Since 1986, Deolalkar has been working as a consultant, first as a Chief Executive of Bhagwati Priya Consulting Engineers , and later for Deolalkar Consultants, a proprietary consultancy company in Hyderabad. Deolalkar was associated with a number of institutions related to the cement industry at the national level like the Bureau of Indian Standards (earlier known as ISI), National Committee for Science and Technology and National Council for Cement and Building Materials. He was a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the NCCBM. In 2008, he wrote his first book Handbook for Designing Cement Plants. It was well received by the cement industry. His second book, Nomograms for Design and Operation of Cement Plants was a sequel to his first book and is complementary to it.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

7 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

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

3 weeks ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.