Concrete

In India, the use of alternative fuel is at a very nascent stage

Published

4 years ago

November 18, 2022

admin

Ganesh W Jirkuntwar, Senior Executive Director & National Manufacturing Head, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited, analyses the effects of raw materials on emission and efforts taken by his company to conserve the environment.

Tell us about the efforts taken by your organisation to better the environment in and around the manufacturing unit.
Our company has taken a number of efforts to better the environment in order to maximise the proportion of blended cement in our product basket, promote the usage of alternative supplementary cementitious materials recommended by IS for cement and increase the usage of alternative fuels.
We have also installed the appropriate systems to co-process wastes judiciously and follow a pre-processing system for alternative fuels. We have implemented a waste heat recovery system and are now able to tap into solar energy.

How does the use of environmentally friendly fuels or raw materials impact the profitability of the organisation?
Dalmia Bharat Limited follows the business philosophy of ‘Clean & Green is Profitable and Sustainable.’ By using environmentally friendly fuel and raw materials, we have managed to create an impact on our triple bottom line: social, environmental as well as financial performance. A proper strategy for selection and adopting environment-friendly initiatives that act as fuel and raw materials is expected to significantly boost the organisation’s profitability.
Large volumes of legacy municipal waste are available at various municipal dump sites, that can be converted to Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and can be used by Indian cement Industries. Cement industries are currently facing a tough time due to the steep rise in fuel prices. The usage of RDF and other alternative fuels will help the cement industry in optimising its fuel cost.

Tell us about the types of blended cement and their composition manufactured by your organisation. How does the strength of blended cement differ from OPC?
At Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited, we manufacture PPC, PCC and PSC as blended cements. The composition of blended cements is decided strictly in accordance with BIS norms.
The overall strength of blended cement is comparable with OPC 43 Grade. However, Indian Specification (IS) recommends that blended cement should meet the strength Norms of OPC 33 Grade.

What are the key supplementary materials used to manufacture blended cement?
The key supplementary materials used to manufacture blended cement are pulverised fuel ash, known as flyash, and granulated slag.

Tell us about the impact blended cement creates on the environment.
Blended cement has higher durability and better resistance towards the aggressive environment of chloride and sulphate. Additionally, less clinker is being consumed to produce the same volume of cement, resulting in raw materials savings, energy savings (thermal and electrical), reduced CO2 emission and waste utilisation.

How does the use of alternative fuels impact the productivity and efficiency of the manufacturing process?
The use of alternative fuels leads to a marginal increase in overall heat consumption. In case a preheater fan and other equipment are being used at their full capacity, usage of alternative fuels may result in a marginal reduction of clinker throughput.

What role does technology play in creating blends that help curb emissions and make the environment better?
Technology helps reduce CO2 emission as a result of low clinker consumption in blended cement compared to non-blended cement.

What are the major challenges your organisation is facing to curb the emission rate?
Although cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, during clinker manufacturing, the emission of process CO2 is inevitable. The only way to curb the emission significantly as of now helps replace fossil fuels with alternative fuels.
The major challenges in increasing the usage of alternative fuels include adopting RDF which is the only alternative fuel and is available in large volumes. However, the quality of RDF being supplied in India is very poor and inconsistent. Additionally, high ash content and moisture in RDF restrict the higher usage of RDF.
In India, the use of alternative fuel is at a very nascent stage and cement players need to invest in R&D on understanding its impact on cement and corrective actions

How do you foresee the future of emissions created by the cement industry?
The cement industry is putting in unrelenting efforts to reduce the Cement Clinker Ratio (CC Ratio), higher usage of alternative fuels and increased the usage of renewable energy. This will reflect in their carbon footprint figure in the next few years. We expect that, in a few years, newer technological adoption such as carbon capture, green hydrogen usage, rotodynamic heater etc. will also decide the future of emissions by cement industries.

-Kanika Mathur

Up Next

The Indian cement industry is achieving an exemplary performance

Don't Miss

Indian cement industry is well known for its energy and natural resource efficiency

Concrete

UltraTech Cement Expands in Andhra Pradesh with Rs. 26.5 bn

Petnikota plant adds 3.6 MTPA cement dispatch capacity

Published

10 hours ago

October 23, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement has expanded its manufacturing footprint in Andhra Pradesh with the commissioning of Petnikota Cement Works, an integrated cement plant built with an investment of around Rs. 26.5 bn. The facility is located in Petnikota village in Kolimigundla mandal of Nandyal district, in the Rayalaseema region.

Construction of the plant began in May 2025. The facility has a clinkerisation capacity of 3.3 MTPA and a cement dispatch capacity of 3.6 MTPA, strengthening the company’s production and distribution presence in the State.

The plant is expected to provide direct employment to 650 people and indirect employment to another 2,000. It has been designed to operate entirely on green energy and does not have a captive thermal power plant. The project also uses no groundwater, according to information released by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, said in the release that the facility was taken from groundbreaking to commissioning in 14 months. He described the project as a state-of-the-art addition to the company’s operations in the State and said it would create 2,650 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Petnikota Cement Works adds to UltraTech Cement’s manufacturing capacity in Andhra Pradesh while supporting industrial activity in Nandyal district. The plant’s energy design and stated groundwater-use policy are also intended to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. The company has identified the facility as part of its continuing capacity expansion in the Indian cement market.

Concrete

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Cement sales rose 9% to 4.7 MMT, while EBITDA increased 11%.

Published

10 hours ago

October 23, 2026

admin

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.

The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.

On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid renewable energy project in Rajasthan. Once operational, the project is expected to generate about 100 million units of renewable electricity annually. The company expects it to reduce reliance on conventional power sources and improve long-term cost certainty across its Rajasthan operations.

Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd., said, “Q2 FY27 was a testament to resilient execution in a challenging operating environment. Despite intense and erratic rainfall in our key markets, global and regional logistics & supply chain disruptions, and elevated input costs stemming from ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, the Company delivered strong YoY growth in Revenue, EBITDA, and PAT. Our performance reflects the strength of our strategic levers of premiumisation and geographical mix optimisation, which helped realisations amid muted cement prices.”

He added, “During the quarter, the Company achieved a significant growth milestone with the successful commissioning of the 2 MMTPA Grinding Unit at Limla, Surat, underscoring our strong project execution capabilities. This achievement reinforces our confidence in delivering the remaining modules of the Vadraj Cement Project at Kutch and Sachana within the planned timelines. Looking ahead, while we remain mindful of evolving macroeconomic and geopolitical dynamics, we remain focused on operational excellence, accelerating premiumisation, optimising supply chain efficiencies, and executing our growth projects as planned.

Concrete

Meghalaya Cabinet Approves MCCL Closure, Writes Off Rs. 244.3 mn

Cabinet approves winding up of state-owned cement company

Published

4 days ago

October 19, 2026

admin

The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the closure and winding up of Meghalaya Cherra Cement (MCCL), a state-owned cement company, with pending liabilities of approximately Rs. 244.3 mn to be written off as part of the process. The decision was announced by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on October 13, 2026.

The approved write-off comprises about Rs. 89 mn in sales tax dues and Rs. 155.3 mn in royalty dues. The Cabinet’s decision addresses the liabilities that remained after the company’s operations and enables the government to proceed with its formal closure.

Sangma said employee dues owed by MCCL had been settled in line with the state government’s commitment. The settlement of employee-related liabilities is a key part of the winding-up process and removes outstanding obligations to the company’s workforce.

The Chief Minister explained that MCCL is owned by the government, meaning the pending liabilities would otherwise involve transfers between the state government and its departments. Writing off the dues is intended to simplify the accounting and administrative steps required to complete the closure.

The decision is also intended to ensure that the winding-up does not create an additional financial burden for the state government. With employee payments settled and the sales tax and royalty liabilities addressed through the approved write-off, the Cabinet’s approval marks a further step towards completing the formal closure of MCCL.

The action follows the state government’s decision to discontinue the company and resolve its outstanding obligations through an orderly winding-up process. The approved measures cover the principal liabilities identified for settlement and allow the government to advance the remaining formal procedures associated with closing the state-owned enterprise.