Technology

Safety Matters

Published

3 years ago

February 14, 2023

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Stringent safety protocols, strict adherence to safety norms and mandatory audits and risk assessments are required to make the cement manufacturing process less hazardous and accident-prone. ICR looks at the various measures that companies are implementing in order to remain on top of the safety game.

The oil and gas industries of the world have witnessed catastrophic blasts and hazards at their plants. Safety is always a matter of concern and conversation in the said industries. The cement industry, though less volatile when compared to the oil and gas industry, is also adept to hazardous working conditions, and safety is of paramount importance at the cement plants as well.
Cement is one of the most widely used substances in the world. It has the second highest consumption worldwide after water, studies have noted. Making this high demand product is labour- and resource-intensive and this has an impact on the environment as well as the health and safety of those involved in the process. The process of making cement begins at the mining site and ends when the product is packaged and loaded in trucks to move out of the plant. Safety in operations and for personnel must be looked after at each step in the process.
Health and safety at a cement plant is a two-way street. It is the organisation’s responsibility to create a workplace environment in order to protect their employees from the various risks. It is also the duty of every personnel to adhere to the safety rules and compliances ensued by the organisation. To streamline this and to look after the safety of the plant, specific experts and departments are set in place. Audits are also conducted from time to time to understand the maintenance and adherence to safety standards and best practices at cement plants.

Risk Assessment
Cement making is a continuous process. Right from the excavation of raw material to the movement of finished goods, safety concerns arise at each point in practice.
Quarrying involves extraction of limestone by the process of drilling, blasting and extracting. This large stone is then transported to a crusher that breaks it down into smaller pieces which make it easier to prepare the raw mix. During this process, workmen are exposed to dust, noise and movement of heavy equipment and vehicles. Each touchpoint has potential hazards.
Once the raw mix is fed to the kiln, the chemical reaction begins with the help of heat, which is primarily achieved from coal. These plants are huge and the feeding process is automated, however, working in such a high temperature zone can be a potential cause of a hazard due to negligence or human error.
At the end of the cement making process, the final product is loaded in trucks. This is done manually. Multiple accidents can take place at this point as well. From loading vehicles harming the labour to the workmen tripping or falling, hazards can occur at any point.
These are the major areas of concern every organisation must keep a lookout for. Besides the physical accidents or hazards, health of the employees and workers is of primary concern for the organisation. Coming in contact with pollutants or particles may cause respiratory or skin issues, while the noise may cause hearing damage.
According to a Risk Assessment Report published by Ultratech Cement, the cement industry experiences risk of several hazards inherent to the cement production process that mainly impact those working within the industry. Some health hazards can also create an impact on local communities. The potentially hazardous areas and the likely incidents with the concerned area have been enlisted below in Table – 1.

The International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) Volume 4 describes major hazards being an associated term with material, which is a measure or the likelihood of the human working with or studying the material in question.
All the probable potential hazards are classified under different heads, namely:
• Fire hazards
• Toxic gas release hazards
• Explosion hazards
• Corrosion hazards
Fire is dangerous if it occurs in an uncontrolled manner. It is important to understand in a plant environment that use of liquid with its flash point below the normal ambient temperature, in suitable circumstances could liberate enough vapours to give rise to flammable mixtures with air. Thus, causing a fire hazard in the cement plant.
Toxic hazards are caused by ingestion, absorption and inhalation of toxic substances that may be released in the open environment due to a glitch or imperfection in the equipment. These toxins could enter the human body and cause irritation or inflammation.
Corrosion hazards take place when chemicals or other corrosive materials touch the surface of equipment, thus, deteriorating their strength and performance which may lead to accidents or harm to the plant and those working there.
Uncontrolled release or capture of energy leads to explosion hazards. This can be very dangerous for those around the same.
In addition to specific hazards, there are also general hazards in all of the cement manufacturing processes such as safe behaviour, work equipment, safety labelling, personal protective equipment (PPE), manual load handling (TRIA Project) etc.

Health and safety is the number one priority for
the cement industry, for its employees, contractors and
end-users.

Health Hazards
Respiratory health has a long history within the cement industry, and it is a topic of consistent focus. Cement manufacturing is multifaceted, and companies formulate, implement and periodically evaluate respiratory protection among employees to guard against dust exposures. Cement plants consider all other conditions affecting miners’ health, such as exposure to excessive noise and hazardous materials. Hearing conservation programmes require baseline audio testing and subsequent tests.
Dust emissions are one of the most significant impacts of cement manufacturing and associated with handling and storage of raw materials (including crushing and grinding of raw materials), solid fuels, transportation of materials (e.g., by trucks or conveyor belts), kiln systems, clinker coolers, and mills, including clinker and limestone burning and packaging/bagging activities. Packaging is the most polluting process (in terms of dust) in cement production. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are emitted from the high temperature combustion process of the cement kiln. Carbon dioxide defined as greenhouse gas is mainly associated with fuel combustion and with the decarbonation of limestone. These can be the reasons for causing respiratory or other health disorders.

Safety Needs Good Practices
As much as it is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure the safety of its employees, staff and workmen, it is equally their responsibility as well to be aware, alert and follow rules and regulations for their safety and for others safety as well. Audits are a key to maintaining good plant safety and understanding the gaps that may occur at the cement plant or unit.
Kanishk Khanna, CEO, Elion Technologies and Consulting, says, “In general, it is a good practice to conduct safety audits at least once a year, but some companies may choose to conduct them more frequently. Cement plants possess multiple hazards so it is also important to conduct safety audits following any significant changes to the facility or its operations, such as new equipment or processes or after any incidents or accidents. Annual Safety Audits are also mandatory as per factory rules. For these audits, the rules vary from state to state.”
The cement manufacturing industry is labour intensive and uses large scale and potentially hazardous manufacturing processes. Therefore, health and safety is the number one priority for the cement industry for its employees, contractors, end-users and all those associated with the workings of the cement manufacturing process.

Uncontrolled release or capture of energy may lead to explosion hazards.

Exposure to dust and high temperatures, contact with allergic substances, and noise exposure can be defined as hazards associated with health; while falling / impact with objects; hot surface burns; and transportation, working at height, slip/trips/falls can be defined as hazards associated with safety. It is a critical issue that ensures a health and safety culture in workplaces.
For this purpose, health and safety policy should be adapted with other policies of the company. Additionally, the risk management policy of the company should be developed and risk assessment should be performed regularly and efficiently.
“At UCWL, we have well planned, systematically designed safety guidelines/ standards for safety in our organisation. We have consequence management standards for employees / workers who do not follow safety or break any safety rules and guidelines at the workplace and penalties are imposed. Here, we have comprehensive safety guidelines in our
plant for achieving our vision ‘Zero Harm.’ These guidelines keep employees safe and protect their well-being,” says Nirmal K Jain, Safety Head, JK Lakshmi Cement.
“By following the safety guidelines employees can perform their jobs more effectively and confidently without fear of being injured or suffering from an illness. We have separate safety guidelines for road safety, lifting safety, working at height, hot work, confined space working, covid-19 etc.,” he adds.

Using fall protections when working on heights like
harness, helmet etc. are part of basic safety rules at
Indian cement plants.

The objective of the safety managers of the organisation as well as every individual should be to maintain the utmost responsible approach towards the safety of self, fellow workmen and the plant as a whole.
Basic safety rules to be followed in a cement plant are as follows:
• Wearing job specific personal protective equipment. Some processes may require a basic PPE
while some may require additions like earplugs, gloves etc.
• Ensuring all guards are in place before starting a process. Machines have safety guards or valves which must be in place before operating them. Any alteration done to the guards would require written permission from authorised personnel.
• Regular inspections of machinery health and safety standards. This would involve checking for any kind of cracks, leaks, unlocked
guards, safety equipment, personal protective equipment etc.
• Using fall protections when working on heights like harness, helmet etc.
• Masks and shields for confined spaces and activities involving dust or fumes
• Any kind of distractions like mobile phones
are discouraged to be used in the plant while performing high risk activities or processes in the cement plant.
Manufacturers of safety equipment for the cement, Hemanshu Hashia, Country Head, Safety Joggers India says, “In India, typically safety equipment manufacturers have been following only one standard of norms for their quality tests. However, the times have changed and globally the demand is for all standard certifications in one product. Therefore, we are also educating the users of safety equipment in India to ask for global quality standard norms and are making it available for them at the same price.”

Safety in the Technology Era
Digitalisation of plants, its machinery and functions has not only positively impacted the efficiency and productivity of cement manufacturing, but has also contributed towards making plants safer.

Cement plant technician wearing safety gear according
to the protocol and safety standards

Cement manufacturers are moving towards installation of monitoring equipment and softwares at maximum machineries for every process which helps them monitor functions in real time as well as understand indicators and preventive maintenance signals. Once such signals are noticed, action can be taken in time to prevent a breakdown of any function, which may lead to a certain hazard in the cement plant.
Similarly, automation in processes has reduced manual intervention in the functionality of cement manufacturing, thus, making machines work on the more difficult and risky tasks that were earlier performed by workmen or skilled personnel. Thus, avoiding accidents and hazards in the plant.
Technology is also enabling tracking and maintenance of protective gear in the plant. It allows those responsible for sourcing and restocking of the PPE to call for required gear when they are running down on inventory. It also allows them to monitor feedback and function of this gear as well as keep track of every person wearing the gear and working in the plant.

Conclusion
Safety is a matter of life and death in industries like cement where plants function with heat, pressure and combustible matter. Thus, it becomes important for organisations to have concrete guidelines in place for their employees and workmen and have all standards and protocols followed for the functions of the plant. Protective gear or function specific PPE should be always available for those who have to perform tasks in the plant.
Organisations should provide training at all levels of working professionals to educate them on the safety measures and protocol. These training should be revised and repeated at regular intervals for old employees and be a part of orientation and induction for new employees and workers. In case of negligence, there should be strict punishment for not following safety protocols.
Accidents not only cost money, but lives, too.

-Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

Human Factor in Grinding Optimisation

Published

3 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

admin

Ponnusamy Sampathkumar, Consultant – Process Optimisation and Training, discusses the role of skilled operators as the decisive link between advanced additives, digital control and world-class mill performance.

The industry always tries to reduce the number of operators in the Centre Control Room. (CCR) Though the concept was succeeded to certain extent, still we need a skilled person in the CCR.
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) grinding aids, performance enhancers, and digital optimisation tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s tempting to believe that chemistry alone can solve the challenges of mill efficiency. Yet plants that consistently outperform their peers share one common trait: highly skilled operators who understand the mill as a living system, not just a machine.
Additives can improve flowability, reduce agglomeration, and enhance separator efficiency, but they cannot replace the nuanced judgement that comes from experience. Grinding is a dynamic process influenced by raw material variability, moisture, liner wear, ball charge distribution, ventilation, and separator loading. No additive can fully compensate for poor control of these fundamentals.

Operators see what additives cannot
When I joined the cement industry in 1981, not much modernisation was available then. Mostly the equipment was run from the local panel. Once I was visiting the cement mills section. The cement mills were water sprayed over the shell to reduce the temperature to avoid the gypsum disintegration.
The operator stopped the feeding for one of the mills. When I asked the reason, he replied that mill was getting jammed, and he added that he could understand the mill condition by its sound. I also learned that and it was useful throughout my career. In another plant I saw the ‘Electronic Ear,’ which checked the sound of the mill and the signal was looped with feed control!
Whatever modernisation we achieve, it is from the human factor that the development starts.
Additives respond to conditions; operators interpret them.
A skilled operator can detect subtle shifts, like a change in mill sound, a slight variation in circulating load, or a drift in separator cut point. It’s long before instrumentation flags a problem. These micro-observations often prevent major efficiency losses.
Additives work best when the process is stable
I would like to share one real time incident. The mill was running on auto mode looped with the mill outlet bucket elevator kilowatt. (KW)There was a decrease in the KW, and the mill feed was increased by the auto control (PID). After a while, the operator stopped both the feed and the mill. He asked the local operator to check the airslide between mill outlet and the elevator. They found the airslide was jammed and no material flow to the elevator!
The operator deduced the abnormality by his experience by seeing the conditions and the rate of increase of the feed by the auto control.
It’s always the human factor that adds value to the optimisation.

Grinding aids are multipliers,
not magicians.
They deliver maximum benefit only when:
• Mill ventilation is correct
• Ball charge is balanced
• Feed moisture is controlled
• Separator speed and loading are improved
• Blaine targets are realistic
Without these fundamentals, even advanced additives may become costly investments. The operator is responsible for ensuring process stability, whether using a ball mill or a vertical mill. After ensuring the system is stable, the operator observes it briefly before transitioning to automatic control. If there is any anomaly in the system the operator at once takes control of the system, stabilises and bring back to auto control.

Skilled operators adapt in real time
It will be interesting to note that the operators who operate from local panel start to operate from DCS also. They have the experience and the ability to adapt the changes. Operator checks each parameter deeply. Any meagre change in the parameters is also visible to him.
Raw materials change. Weather changes. Wear patterns change.
A skilled operator adjusts:
• Feed rate
• Water injection
• Separator speed
• Grinding pressure (in VRMs)
• Mill load distribution.
These adjustments require intuition built from years of experience, something no additive can replicate.

Human insight prevents over reliance on additives
Plants sometimes increase additive dosage to mask deeper issues like:
• Poor clinker quality
• Inadequate drying capacity
• Incorrect ball gradation
• High residue due to worn separator internals.

A knowledgeable operator finds root causes instead of chasing temporary chemical fixes.
The real optimisation sweet spot is reached when:
• Operators understand how additives interact with their specific mill.
• Additive suppliers collaborate with plant teams.
• Process data is interpreted by humans who know the mill’s behaviour.
This constructive collaboration consistently delivers:
• Lower kWh/t
• Higher throughput
• Better product consistency
• Optimum standard deviation.

Advanced additives are powerful tools, but they are not substitutes for human ability. Grinding optimisation is ultimately a human driven discipline, where skilled operators make the difference between average performance and world class efficiency. Additives enhance the process but operators
control it.

About the author:
Ponnusamy Sampathkumar, Consultant – Process Optimisation and Training, is a seasoned cement process consultant with 43+ years of global experience in plant operations, process optimisation, refractory management, safety systems and training multicultural teams across international cement plants.

Concrete

Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation

Published

3 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

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Professor Procyon Mukherjee discusses how as the cement industry accelerates its shift towards digitalisation, data-driven technologies are becoming the mainstay of sustainability and control across the value chain.

The cement industry, long perceived as traditional and resistant to change, is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digital technologies. As global infrastructure demand grows alongside increasing pressure to decarbonise and improve productivity, cement manufacturers are adopting data-centric tools to enhance performance across the value chain. Nowhere is this shift more impactful than in grinding, which is the energy-intensive final stage of cement production, and in the materials that make grinding more efficient: grinding media and grinding aids.

The imperative for digitalisation
Cement production accounts for roughly 7 per cent to 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions, largely due to the energy intensity of clinker production and grinding processes. Digital solutions, such as AI-driven process controls and digital twins, are helping plants improve stability, cut fuel use and reduce emissions while maintaining consistent product quality. In one deployment alongside ABB’s process controls at a Heidelberg plant in Czechia, AI tools cut fuel use by 4 per cent and emissions by 2 per cent, while also improving operational stability.
Digitalisation in cement manufacturing encompasses a suite of technologies, broadly termed as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), AI and machine learning, predictive analytics, cloud-based platforms, advanced process control and digital twins, each playing a role in optimising various stages of production from quarrying to despatch.

Grinding: The crucible of efficiency and cost
Of all the stages in cement production, grinding is among the most energy-intensive, historically consuming large amounts of electricity and representing a significant portion of plant operating costs. As a result, optimising grinding operations has become central to digital transformation strategies.
Modern digital systems are transforming grinding mills from mechanical workhorses into intelligent, interconnected assets. Sensors throughout the mill measure parameters such as mill load, vibration, mill speed, particle size distribution, and power consumption. This real-time data, fed into machine learning and advanced process control (APC) systems, can dynamically adjust operating conditions to maintain optimal throughput and energy usage.
For example, advanced grinding systems now predict inefficient conditions, such as impending mill overload, by continuously analysing acoustic and vibration signatures. The system can then proactively adjust clinker feed rates and grinding media distribution to sustain optimal conditions, reducing energy consumption and improving consistency.

Digital twins: Seeing grinding in the virtual world
One of the most transformative digital tools applied in cement grinding is the digital twin, which a real-time virtual replica of physical equipment and processes. By integrating sensor data and
process models, digital twins enable engineers to simulate process variations and run ‘what-if’
scenarios without disrupting actual production. These simulations support decisions on variables such as grinding media charge, mill speed and classifier settings, allowing optimisation of energy use and product fineness.
Digital twins have been used to optimise kilns and grinding circuits in plants worldwide, reducing unplanned downtime and allowing predictive maintenance to extend the life of expensive grinding assets.

Grinding media and grinding aids in a digital era
While digital technologies improve control and prediction, materials science innovations in grinding media and grinding aids have become equally crucial for achieving performance gains.
Grinding media, which comprise the balls or cylinders inside mills, directly influence the efficiency of clinker comminution. Traditionally composed of high-chrome cast iron or forged steel, grinding media account for nearly a quarter of global grinding media consumption by application, with efficiency improvements translating directly to lower energy intensity.
Recent advancements include ceramic and hybrid media that combine hardness and toughness to reduce wear and energy losses. For example, manufacturers such as Sanxin New Materials in China and Tosoh Corporation in Japan have developed sub-nano and zirconia media with exceptional wear resistance. Other innovations include smart media embedded with sensors to monitor wear, temperature, and impact forces in real time, enabling predictive maintenance and optimal media replacement scheduling. These digitally-enabled media solutions can increase grinding efficiency by as much as 15 per cent.
Complementing grinding media are grinding aids, which are chemical additives that improve mill throughput and reduce energy consumption by altering the surface properties of particles, trapping air, and preventing re-agglomeration. Technology leaders like SIKA AG and GCP Applied Technologies have invested in tailored grinding aids compatible with AI-driven dosing platforms that automatically adjust additive concentrations based on real-time mill conditions. Trials in South America reported throughput improvements nearing 19 per cent when integrating such digital assistive dosing with process control systems.
The integration of grinding media data and digital dosing of grinding aids moves the mill closer to a self-optimising system, where AI not only predicts media wear or energy losses but prescribes optimal interventions through automated dosing and operational adjustments.

Global case studies in digital adoption
Several cement companies around the world exemplify digital transformation in practice.
Heidelberg Materials has deployed digital twin technologies across global plants, achieving up to 15 per cent increases in production efficiency and 20 per cent reductions in energy consumption by leveraging real-time analytics and predictive algorithms.
Holcim’s Siggenthal plant in Switzerland piloted AI controllers that autonomously adjusted kiln operations, boosting throughput while reducing specific energy consumption and emissions.
Cemex, through its AI and predictive maintenance initiatives, improved kiln availability and reduced maintenance costs by predicting failures before they occurred. Global efforts also include AI process optimisation initiatives to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.

Challenges and the road ahead
Despite these advances, digitalisation in cement grinding faces challenges. Legacy equipment may lack sensor readiness, requiring retrofits and edge-cloud connectivity upgrades. Data governance and integration across plants and systems remains a barrier for many mid-tier producers. Yet, digital transformation statistics show momentum: more than half of cement companies have implemented IoT sensors for equipment monitoring, and digital twin adoption is growing rapidly as part of broader Industry 4.0 strategies.
Furthermore, as digital systems mature, they increasingly support sustainability goals: reduced energy use, optimised media consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. By embedding intelligence into grinding circuits and material inputs like grinding aids, cement manufacturers can strike a balance between efficiency and environmental stewardship.
Conclusion
Digitalisation is not merely an add-on to cement manufacturing. It is reshaping the competitive and sustainability landscape of an industry often perceived as inertia-bound. With grinding representing a nexus of energy intensity and cost, digital technologies from sensor networks and predictive analytics to digital twins offer new levers of control. When paired with innovations in grinding media and grinding aids, particularly those with embedded digital capabilities, plants can achieve unprecedented gains in efficiency, predictability and performance.
For global cement producers aiming to reduce costs and carbon footprints simultaneously, the future belongs to those who harness digital intelligence not just to monitor operations, but to optimise and evolve them continuously.

About the author:
Professor Procyon Mukherjee, ex-CPO Lafarge-Holcim India, ex-President Hindalco, ex-VP Supply Chain Novelis Europe, has been an industry leader in logistics, procurement, operations and supply chain management. His career spans 38 years starting from Philips, Alcan Inc (Indian Aluminum Company), Hindalco, Novelis and Holcim. He authored the book, ‘The Search for Value in Supply Chains’. He serves now as Visiting Professor in SP Jain Global, SIOM and as the Adjunct Professor at SBUP. He advises leading Global Firms including Consulting firms on SCM and Industrial Leadership and is a subject matter expert in aluminum and cement. An Alumnus of IIM Calcutta and Jadavpur University, he has completed the LH Senior Leadership Programme at IVEY Academy at Western University, Canada.

Concrete

Digital Pathways for Sustainable Manufacturing

Published

3 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

admin

Dr Y Chandri Naidu, Chief Technology Officer, Nextcem Consulting highlights how digital technologies are enabling Indian cement plants to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and transition toward sustainable, low-carbon manufacturing.

Cement manufacturing is inherently resource- and energy-intensive due to high-temperature clinkerisation and extensive material handling and grinding operations. In India, where cement demand continues to grow in line with infrastructure development, producers must balance capacity expansion with sustainability commitments. Energy costs constitute a major share of operating expenditure, while process-related carbon dioxide emissions from limestone calcination remain unavoidable.
Traditional optimisation approaches, which are largely dependent on operator experience, static control logic and offline laboratory analysis, have reached their practical limits. This is especially evident when higher levels of alternative fuel and raw materials (AFR) are introduced or when raw material variability increases.
Digital technologies provide a systematic pathway to manage this complexity by enabling
real-time monitoring, predictive optimisation and integrated decision-making across cement manufacturing operations.
Digital cement manufacturing is enabled through a layered architecture integrating operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). At the base are plant instrumentation, analysers, and automation systems, which generate continuous process data. This data is contextualised and analysed using advanced analytics and AI platforms, enabling predictive and prescriptive insights for operators and management.

Digital optimisation of energy efficiency

Thermal energy optimisation
The kiln and calciner system accounts for approximately 60 per cent to 65 per cent of total energy consumption in an integrated cement plant. Digital optimisation focuses on reducing specific thermal energy consumption (STEC) while maintaining clinker quality and operational stability.
Advanced Process Control (APC) stabilises critical parameters such as burning zone temperature, oxygen concentration, kiln feed rate and calciner residence time. By minimising process variability, APC reduces the need for conservative over-firing. Artificial intelligence further enhances optimisation by learning nonlinear relationships between raw mix chemistry, AFR characteristics, flame dynamics and heat consumption.
Digital twins of kiln systems allow engineers to simulate operational scenarios such as increased AFR substitution, altered burner momentum or changes in raw mix burnability without operational risk. Indian cement plants adopting these solutions typically report STEC reductions in the range of 2 per cent to 5 per cent.
Electrical energy optimisation
Electrical energy consumption in cement plants is dominated by grinding systems, fans and material transport equipment. Machine learning–based optimisation continuously adjusts mill parameters such as separator speed, grinding pressure and feed rate to minimise specific power consumption while maintaining product fineness.
Predictive maintenance analytics identify inefficiencies caused by wear, fouling or imbalance in fans and motors. Plants implementing plant-wide electrical energy optimisation typically achieve
3 per cent to 7 per cent reduction in specific power consumption, contributing to both cost savings and indirect CO2 reduction.

Digital enablement of AFR
AFR challenges in the Indian context: Indian cement plants increasingly utilise biomass, refuse-derived fuel (RDF), plastic waste and industrial by-products. However, variability in calorific value, moisture, particle size, chlorine and sulphur content introduces combustion instability, build-up formation and emission risks.
Digital AFR management: Digital platforms integrate real-time AFR quality data from online analysers with historical kiln performance data. Machine learning models predict combustion behaviour, flame stability and emission trends for different AFR combinations. Based on these predictions, fuel feed distribution, primary and secondary air ratios, and burner momentum are dynamically adjusted to ensure stable kiln operation. Digitally enabled AFR management in cement plants will result in increased thermal substitution rates by 5-15 percentage points, reduced fossil fuel dependency, and improved kiln stability.

Digital resource and raw material optimisation
Raw mix control: Raw material variability directly affects kiln operation and clinker quality. AI-driven raw mix optimisation systems continuously adjust feed proportions to maintain target chemical parameters such as Lime Saturation Factor (LSF), Silica Modulus (SM), and Alumina Modulus (AM). This reduces corrective material usage and improves kiln thermal efficiency.
Clinker factor reduction: Reducing clinker factor through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash, slag and calcined clay is a key decarbonisation lever. Digital models simulate blended cement performance, enabling optimisation of SCM proportions while maintaining strength and durability requirements.

Challenges and strategies for digital adoption
Key challenges in Indian cement plants include data quality limitations due to legacy instrumentation, resistance to algorithm-based decision-making, integration complexity across multiple OEM systems, and site-specific variability in raw materials and fuels.
Successful digital transformation requires strengthening the data foundation, prioritising high-impact use cases such as kiln APC and energy optimisation, adopting a human-in-the-loop approach, and deploying modular, scalable digital platforms with cybersecurity by design.

Future Outlook
Future digital cement plants will evolve toward autonomous optimisation, real-time carbon intensity tracking, and integration with emerging decarbonisation technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). Digital platforms will also support ESG reporting and regulatory compliance.
Digital pathways offer a practical and scalable solution for sustainable cement manufacturing in India. By optimising energy consumption, enabling higher AFR substitution and improving resource efficiency, digital technologies deliver measurable environmental and economic benefits. With appropriate data infrastructure, organisational alignment and phased implementation, digital transformation will remain central to the Indian cement industry’s low-carbon transition.

About the author:
Dr Y Chandri Naidu is a cement industry professional with 30+ years of experience in process optimisation, quality control and quality assistance, energy conservation and sustainable manufacturing, across leading organisations including NCB, Ramco, Prism, Ultratech, HIL, NCL and Vedanta. He is known for guiding teams, developing innovative plant solutions and promoting environmentally responsible cement production. He is also passionate about mentoring professionals and advancing durable, resource efficient technologies for future of construction materials.