Economy & Market

Supply-side pressures will remain all through this year too

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

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H M Bangur, Managing Director, Shree Cement. Infrastructure and housing are key drivers of cement market demand in India. A stable government will be expected to implement policies that boost both these sectors and help improve the prospects of the Indian cement industry which currently is going through a rough phase, says H M Bangur, Managing Director, Shree Cement. Excerpts from the interview.

Which sectors are expected to drive cement demand in 2014?
The infrastructure sector is expected to give the major boost to cement demand in 2014. With the new government coming in, it is expected that a renewed push will be given to stalled projects, and new projects will be initiated. All of this should auger well for cement demand.

If the interest rate cycle goes on a downturn next year, as we hope it will, with moderation in inflation going forward, housing demand should also revive across cities. Rural housing demand should remain good considering the expectation of a healthy agricultural growth this year.

Commercial real estate will start contributing majorly only when IndiaÂ´s GDP growth, especially the service sector, revives from the current low levels.

What is the demand-supply scenario likely to be in 2014?
Cement being a commodity business, with multiple demand drivers, predicting demand is a tricky affair. However, given the low demand seen in the current year, it should only improve or at worst remain the same.Supply- side pressures will remain all through this year, too as new capacity continues to come up irrespective of the slowdown. On the whole, supply is expected to continue to outstrip the demand in 2014, too.

What is your estimate on cement prices in 2014?
Cement realisations have been very low last year and unless any major boost in demand is seen, the prices may remain subdued in 2014 as well. Cement pricing is driven by market demand, very little can be said about its behaviour.

Are you planning capacity addition, more capacity utilisation or consolidation?
Shree Cement is moving forward to attain its target, 25 million tonnes capacity by 2015. This should be viewed in the backdrop of our current cement capacity of 13.5 million tonnes. Capacity expansion projects are currently under way by way of brownfield expansion at Ras (Rajasthan) and greenfield expansion at Balodabazar (Chhattisgarh) and Aurangabad (Bihar). An additional greenfield grinding capacity is being planned in north India to meet the target of 2015.

What changes in market trends do you foresee after elections?
Infrastructure and housing are key drivers of cement market demand in India. A stable government will be expected to implement policies that boost both these sectors and help improve the prospects of the Indian cement industry which is currently going through a rough phase.

What will our export /import scenario look like in 2014 with regard to cement and raw materials used in cement?
Cement being a bulky commodity, it is not suited for any substantial export/import. So there wonÂ´t be any substantial export-import of cement in 2014 as well. The same is true for cement raw material like limestone, fly-ash, etc. Some import of gypsum does take place; in terms of fuel, there is huge reliance on imports as government has not awarded any new linkage to the cement sector since 2007. So unless the government offers the much deserved domestic coal linkage/or reserving of coal blocks to the cement sector, the import of coal will continue in 2014.

What policy initiatives do you expect from the government?
To boost cement demand, and thus boost infrastructure development, the government could take some quick initiatives like:

Increasing the housing related tax incentive (interest and principal deduction for income tax purpose) limit for individuals.

Directing various state/central authorities to develop cement concrete roads which not only have an advantage over the life of the road but also on the current costs of construction. Cement plants have been always environment-friendly since they absorb the fly-ash generated by thermal power plants as its raw material. However, instead of supplying their hazardous waste free of cost to cement plants, power plants have started charging for it. The government needs to ensure that the principal ofÂ´polluter paysÂ´ is enforced and stop power plants from charging cement plants.

Ensuring that transporting of clinker in case of split-grinding units is of a permanent nature with fixed origin and destination points. To facilitate this, the railways should enter into long- term contracts at concessional rates to ensure efficient transport of such bulk products.

Cement production being power intensive, most plants have captive power plants. The government needs to support the sector by giving equal priority in grant of coal linkage and reserving suitable captive blocks vis-a-vis other sectors.

What is your take on the tax structure?
With an overall rate of tax on cement at 30 per cent, cement is a heavily taxed sector in India. This keeps the consumer prices for cement high. Also, excise duty on cement is currently being levied at mixed rates i.e, ad valorem (on transaction value) plus specific (specific rate to be charged on the basis of MRP).

Rationalisation of duty and some form of interest subvention will not only facilitate additional capacity addition but also make cement even more competitive and cost -effective.

With the new government coming in, it is expected that a renewed push will be given to stalled projects, and new projects will be initiated.

Unless the government offers the much deserved domestic coal linkage/or reserving of coal blocks to the cement sector, the import of coal will continue in 2014.

Shree believes in sustainability

Shree has been a forerunner in adopting the sustainability paradigm. A reflection of the fact is that the company pursues a holistic growth agenda with emphasis on three measures, or bottom lines, of corporate performance Ã» economic, social and environmental. Shree was the first Indian and the third Asian cement company to join the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Switzerland.
As a member of CSI, the Company is committed to pulling down its energy footprint, implementing best practices and sharing its knowledge with other members. The Company has also joined the league of seven nations, viz., the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate Change comprising of the USA, Australia, China, Korea, Japan, Canada and India.
Some of our initiatives taken up by company included setting up of green power plants, manufacturing of synthetic gypsum and use of Air Cooled Condensers (ACCs) showing the companyÂ´s commitment towards this drive for sustainability.

Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI)

Indian companies are showing increasing confidence in disclosing their GHG emission, targets and commitments in regard to climate change actions. In this regard, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) along with Accenture India Ã» the official writer of the 2013 CDP India 200 Climate Change Report – have released their report on 2013 at BSE. Shree Cement has been ranked number one in Material Sector Leaders and number 3 in India 2013 Leaders

Economy & Market

TSR Will Define Which Cement Companies Win India’s Net-Zero Race

Published

2 weeks ago

April 27, 2026

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Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax Technology

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.

According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.

Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The Regulatory Push Is Real

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.

Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian Waste Is a Different Engineering Problem

Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.

The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a Made-in-India Answer

At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.

Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.

Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The Investment Case Is Now

The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.

The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.

The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.

The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About The Author

Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

1 month ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

1 month ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.