Concrete

Limiting the damage

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2022

admin

World Environment Day on 5th June was ushered in with a greater gusto in India than ever before. In keeping with the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Only One Earth,’ the Government of India has also taken substantial steps such as banning single use plastic among others.

Considering the urgency with which the cement sector is moving towards decarbonisation, here are some facts that are propelling cement players to take immediate action:

The steel and cement sectors would see a three-to-four-fold increase in demand and a near tripling of sectoral CO2 emissions by 2050, making the industrial sector the single largest source of CO2 emissions in India, as per an estimate by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
More than half of all CO2 emissions since 1751 have been emitted in the last 30 years, says a study by Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP).
The 20 big companies that contributed to almost 33 per cent of world-historic emissions are from the energy and cement sectors.
The per capita consumption of cement in India is 195 kg, which is far less than the world average of 500 kg and 1000 kg of China, as per Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

Decarbonisation of the cement industry cannot be achieved without technology. Using state-of-the-art technology, cement companies should aim at…

Making their processes more energy efficient
Using renewable energy sources
Shifting to alternative fuels
Investing in carbon capture and storage
Utilising other industrial waste as raw material
Exploring alternative cementitious materials
Recycling waste and having circular processes

Technology and R&D are the two tools that will enable the cement sector to harness alternative energy such as solar thermal power, make improvements in the usage of biomass and green hydrogen and increase material circularity.
A significant achievement in India has been the substitution of part of the limestone with by-products from other processes in the form of industrial wastes like slag from steel plants and fly ash from thermal power plants. This blending has greatly contributed to helping the Indian cement industry perform better than global players in terms of specific emissions of CO2 per tonne of cement. Slag Cement can substitute 70-80 per cent of OPC in various grades of concrete mixtures, while it can be used 100% in massive mass concrete projects and other industrial structures. Achieving higher thermal efficiencies helps conserve the use of coal. Equally noteworthy has been the gainful utilisation of industrial, municipal and agricultural wastes and biomass to serve as alternative fuels that replace fossil fuels.
We see a lot of constructive initiatives undertaken by the government, too, in this journey towards decarbonisation. For instance, last year, India and the United Kingdom announced the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI). It is one of the largest and most diverse coalitions of governments and the private sector to create net-zero carbon industrial products. Over the next three years, the governments will work towards decarbonisation of heavy industries, including, of course, cement. While the sentiment is in the right place here, only time will tell if the efforts match up to the expected outcome.

–Pratap Padode, Founder and Editor-in-chief

Up Next

The Future of Gypsum

Don't Miss

“We mix our branding and marketing efforts to optimise costs”

Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas Reports Record Q2 EBITDA, Expands Capacity to 35 MTPA

Cement Major Nuvoco Posts Rs 3.71 bn EBITDA in Q2 FY26

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2025

admin

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd., one of India’s leading building materials companies, has reported its highest-ever second-quarter consolidated EBITDA of Rs 3.71 billion for Q2 FY26, reflecting an 8% year-on-year revenue growth to Rs 24.58 billion. Cement sales volume stood at 4.3 MMT during the quarter, driven by robust demand and a rising share of premium products, which reached an all-time high of 44%.

The company continued its deleveraging journey, reducing like-to-like net debt by Rs 10.09 billion year-on-year to Rs 34.92 billion. Commenting on the performance, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, said, “Despite macro headwinds, disciplined execution and focus on premiumisation helped us achieve record performance. We remain confident in our structural growth trajectory.”

Nuvoco’s capacity expansion plans remain on track, with refurbishment of the Vadraj Cement facility progressing towards operationalisation by Q3 FY27. In addition, the company’s 4 MTPA phased expansion in eastern India, expected between December 2025 and March 2027, will raise its total cement capacity to 35 MTPA by FY27.

Reinforcing its sustainability credentials, Nuvoco continues to lead the sector with one of the lowest carbon emission intensities at 453.8 kg CO? per tonne of cementitious material.

Concrete

Jindal Stainless to Invest $150 Mn in Odisha Metal Recovery Plant

New Jajpur facility to double metal recovery capacity and cut emissions

Published

2 weeks ago

October 17, 2025

admin

Jindal Stainless Limited has announced an investment of $150 million to build and operate a new wet milling plant in Jajpur, Odisha, aimed at doubling its capacity to recover metal from industrial waste. The project is being developed in partnership with Harsco Environmental under a 15-year agreement.

The facility will enable the recovery of valuable metals from slag and other waste materials, significantly improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The initiative aligns with Jindal Stainless’s sustainability roadmap, which focuses on circular economy practices and low-carbon operations.

In financial year 2025, the company reduced its carbon footprint by about 14 per cent through key decarbonisation initiatives, including commissioning India’s first green hydrogen plant for stainless steel production and setting up the country’s largest captive solar energy plant within a single industrial campus in Odisha.

Shares of Jindal Stainless rose 1.8 per cent to Rs 789.4 per share following the announcement, extending a 5 per cent gain over the past month.

Concrete

Vedanta gets CCI Approval for Rs 17,000 MnJaiprakash buyout

Acquisition marks Vedanta’s expansion into cement, real estate, and infra

Published

2 weeks ago

October 17, 2025

admin

Vedanta Limited has received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to acquire Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) for approximately Rs 17,000 million under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process. The move marks Vedanta’s strategic expansion beyond its core mining and metals portfolio into cement, real estate, and infrastructure sectors.

Once the flagship of the Jaypee Group, JAL has faced severe financial distress with creditors’ claims exceeding Rs 59,000 million. Vedanta emerged as the preferred bidder in a competitive auction, outbidding the Adani Group with an overall offer of Rs 17,000 million, equivalent to Rs 12,505 million in net present value terms. The payment structure involves an upfront settlement of around Rs 3,800 million, followed by annual instalments of Rs 2,500–3,000 million over five years.

The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL), which acquired the group’s stressed loans from a State Bank of India-led consortium, now leads the creditor committee. Lenders are expected to take a haircut of around 71 per cent based on Vedanta’s offer. Despite approvals for other bidders, Vedanta’s proposal stood out as the most viable resolution plan, paving the way for the company’s diversification into new business verticals.