Concrete

Towards Sustainability: Slag Grinding Circuits

Published

4 years ago

March 1, 2022

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A detailed explanation of the joint approach of JSW Cement and the KHD Group helps in a better understanding on the acceptance of roller press in slag grinding and finish grinding.

JSW Cement has a strong commitment towards innovation in sustainability and technology to offer environment-friendly construction and building solutions. It is one of India’s leading ‘Green Cement’ manufacturers, growing exponentially since its inception in 2009. Today, after reaching a production capacity of 14 MTPA with minimum industrial bye product over the past 13 years, the group has a vision to build a self-reliant India by boosting the colossal infrastructure and fast-growing economy through projects that set benchmarks. The group aims to increase its production capacity to 75 MTPA by 2030.
In 2009, JSW ordered a 6000 TPD pyroprocessing line along with 8 roller presses for JSW’s first cement production facility at Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh, for raw material grinding, clinker grinding and slag grinding applications. This whole plant was ordered with a belief in KHD Technology. Since then the long continued association between the two companies has been a success story.
In 2015, JSW decided to increase capacity and ordered 16 roller presses for slag and clinker grinding (each unit comprising 2 RP @ 1.2 MTPA). Given the success of the Nandyal project and the market uptake in the use of roller press technology, JSW contracted KHD-HWI to execute the project, at the centre of which was the supply of KHD’s new-generation, energy-efficient roller press circuit. JSW Cement installed new slag grinding circuit at Jajpur plant, Odisha, India, with a KHD Humboldt Wedag roller press system.

Going the high-tech way
With over 160 years of experience in the cement industry, KHD is considered a global leader in cement plant technology. The system offered by KHD Humboldt Wedag for slag grinding is the most energy efficient grinding machine. Special features of the circuit include includes Roller Press (RP 16-170/180), V-separator (VS 80/20) and the well-proven SKS dynamic separator (SKS-V3000).The advantage of this system is that higher capacity requirements are met with lower specific power consumption. The offered system had a lot of innovative design features like, latest generation SKS dynamic separator at lower level to reduce the overall building height, reduced recirculation load on bucket elevator and reduced dust nuisance with the orientation of RP above V-separator. The fresh feed is put to RP first and the roller press discharge material enters the V-Separator. The material is then separated in SKS Separator, The very coarse fraction is discharged at the bottom end of the SKS separator, entering the feed bin of the roller press for further grinding.
The finished product is separated by SKS Rotor and collected in the baghouse. A reduced recirculation load on the bucket elevator, reduced dust nuisance with the orientation of the roller press above the V-separator, and less dedusting equipment due to the system’s self-venting mechanism in the riser of the separator. Figure 1 gives the configuration of the system offered and remains the key highlights of the system.
The focus to use roller press in finish grinding to get maximum energy advantage as compared to any other grinding technology is taking an edge day by day. Apart from electrical energy focus the offered roller press stud surface has minimum wear and offers trouble and maintenance free operation. The stud technology is a boon for slag grinding wherein Tungsten Carbide Studs are fixed on the roller surface by pressing in pre-drilled rollers, which offers autogenous grinding and minimum wear. The life expected out of these roller surfaces varies from 25000 to 40000 hours of operations without any surface maintenance. Figure 2 gives a picture of a stud surface roller.

Operational performance
The operating results of the slag grinding system with the roller press in finish mode are summarised in Figure 3. As can be seen, the very purpose of opting for roller press technology for slag finish grinding was significant savings in electrical energy consumption compared to other technologies and were successfully achieved. Furthermore, after stabilisation within months’ time the production figures recorded were higher than the original guaranteed parameters.

Conclusion
JSW Cement uses superior quality slag produced at its steel manufacturing plant, conforming to IS: 12089 standards for producing PSC. It is created with a combination of upto 45- 50 per cent slag, 45 per cent – 50 per cent clinker, and 3-5 per cent gypsum. PSC has been voted as the most suitable cement for mass construction because of its low heat of hydration. At present, carbon footprints of JSW are the lowest per tonne of cementitious products produced by the company.

During the year 2020-21, JSW Cement’s overall average net scope-1 CO2 emissions is 200 kg CO2/tonne of cementitious material, which is best in the industry. The steps to this achievement definitely goes to the meticulous approach of methodologies and technologies adopted to produce the desired quality of cementitious materials. Today, slag
grinding acceptance of roller press in finish grinding is well recognised throughout the cement industry. In the case of slag grinding, acceptance of roller press in finish grinding is well recognised. It offers a distinct advantage of saving of about 6-7 Kwh/t as compared to Vertical Roller Mill at 4200 Blaine. KHD has sold 27 Sag Grinding Circuits and maintains about 70 per cent market share in slag grinding in India. The advantage comes due to hardness of slag and pressure grinding in roller press instead of attrition and low pressure in Vertical Roller Press. The moisture issue is also tackled with the problem of coating by incorporating a V-separator below the roller press.

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Concrete

Steel: Shielded or Strengthened?

CW explores the impact of pro-steel policies on construction and infrastructure and identifies gaps that need to be addressed.

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

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Going forward, domestic steel mills are targeting capacity expansion
of nearly 40 per cent through till FY31, adding 80-85 mt, translating
into an investment pipeline of $ 45-50 billion. So, Jhunjhunwala points
out that continuing the safeguard duty will be vital to prevent a surge
in imports and protect domestic prices from external shocks. While in
FY26, the industry operating profit per tonne is expected to hold at
around $ 108, similar to last year, the industry’s earnings must
meaningfully improve from hereon to sustain large-scale investments.
Else, domestic mills could experience a significant spike in industry
leverage levels over the medium term, increasing their vulnerability to
external macroeconomic shocks.(~$ 60/tonne) over the past one month,
compressing the import parity discount to ~$ 23-25/tonne from previous
highs of ~$ 70-90/tonne, adds Jhunjhunwala. With this, he says, “the
industry can expect high resistance to further steel price increases.”

Domestic HRC prices have increased by ~Rs 5,000/tonne
“Aggressive
capacity additions (~15 mt commissioned in FY25, with 5 mt more by
FY26) have created a supply overhang, temporarily outpacing demand
growth of ~11-12 mt,” he says…

To read the full article Click Here

Concrete

JK Cement Commissions 3 MTPA Buxar Plant, Crosses 31 MTPA

Company becomes India’s fifth-largest grey cement producer

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

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JK Cement has commissioned its new 3 MTPA grey cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, taking the company’s total installed capacity to 31.26 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and moving it past the 30 MTPA milestone. With this addition, JK Cement now ranks among the top five grey cement manufacturers in India, strengthening its national presence.

Commenting on the development, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement, said, “Crossing 31 MTPA is a significant turning point in JK Cement’s expansion and demonstrates the scale, resilience, and aspirations of our company. In addition to making a significant contribution to Bihar’s development vision, the commissioning of our Buxar plant represents a strategic step towards expanding our national footprint. We are committed to developing top-notch manufacturing capabilities that boost India’s infrastructure development and generate long-term benefits for local communities.”

Spread across 100 acres, the Buxar plant is located on the Patna–Buxar highway, enabling efficient distribution across Bihar and neighbouring regions. While JK Cement entered the Bihar market last year through supplies from its Prayagraj plant, the new facility will allow local manufacturing and deliveries within 24 hours across the state.

Mr Madhavkrishna Singhania, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement, said, “JK Cement is now among India’s top five producers of grey cement after the Buxar plant commissioning. Our capacity to serve Bihar locally, more effectively, and on a larger scale is strengthened by this facility. Although we had already entered the Bihar market last year using Prayagraj supplies, local manufacturing now enables us to be nearer to our clients and significantly raise service standards throughout the state. Buxar places us at the center of this chance to promote sustainable growth for both the company and the region in Bihar, a high-growth market with strong infrastructure momentum.”

The project has involved an investment of Rs 5 billion. Commercial production began on 29 January 2026, following construction commencement in March 2025. The company said the plant is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment and support ancillary industrial development in the region.

Concrete

JK Cement Crosses 31 MTPA Capacity with Commissioning of Buxar Plant in Bihar

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

admin

JK Cement has commissioned a 3 MTPA Grey Cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, taking its total capacity to 31.26 MTPA and placing it among India’s top five grey cement producers. The ₹500 crore investment strengthens the company’s national footprint while supporting Bihar’s infrastructure growth and local economic development.

JK Cement Ltd., one of India’s leading cement manufacturers, has announced the commissioning of its new state-of-the-art Grey Cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth trajectory. With the commissioning of this facility, JK Cement’s total production capacity has increased to 31.26 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), enabling the company to cross the 30 MTPA threshold.

This expansion positions JK Cement among the top five Grey Cement manufacturers in India, strengthening its national footprint and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy.

Commenting on the strategic achievement, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement, said, “Crossing 31 MTPA is a significant turning point in JK Cement’s expansion and demonstrates the scale, resilience, and aspirations of our company. In addition to making a significant contribution to Bihar’s development vision, the commissioning of our Buxar plant represents a strategic step towards expanding our national footprint. We are committed to developing top-notch manufacturing capabilities that boost India’s infrastructure development and generate long-term benefits for local communities.”

The Buxar plant has a capacity of 3 MTPA and is spread across 100 acres. Strategically located on the Patna–Buxar highway, the facility enables faster and more efficient distribution across Bihar and adjoining regions. While JK Cement entered the Bihar market last year through supplies from its Prayagraj plant, the Buxar facility will now allow the company to serve the state locally, with deliveries possible within 24 hours across Bihar.

Sharing his views on the expansion, Madhavkrishna Singhania, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement, said, “JK Cement is now among India’s top five producers of grey cement after the Buxar plant commissioning. Our capacity to serve Bihar locally, more effectively, and on a larger scale is strengthened by this facility. Although we had already entered the Bihar market last year using Prayagraj supplies, local manufacturing now enables us to be nearer to our clients and significantly raise service standards throughout the state. Buxar places us at the center of this chance to promote sustainable growth for both the company and the region in Bihar, a high-growth market with strong infrastructure momentum.”

The new facility represents a strategic step in supporting Bihar’s development vision by ensuring faster access to superior quality cement for infrastructure, housing, and commercial projects. JK Cement has invested approximately ₹500 crore in the project. Construction began in March 2025, and commercial production commenced on January 29, 2026.

In addition to strengthening JK Cement’s regional presence, the Buxar plant is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities and attract ancillary industries, thereby contributing to the local economy and the broader industrial ecosystem.