Concrete
Dust Control: Balancing Health and Sustainability
Published
3 years agoon
By
admin
With governmental norms for reduction of dust emissions and technological advancements for dust control, the Indian cement industry is geared up to reduce the environmental and health hazards of dust emissions and to make cement processing more sustainable.
Dust emissions from cement plants can have significant environmental and health impacts, as well as affecting nearby communities. Cement plants generate dust during the production process, which can include raw material grinding, blending, preheating, kiln processes, clinker cooling and cement grinding.
Dust emitted from cement plants is a significant environmental and health concern in India, where the cement industry is a major contributor to air pollution. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the cement industry is one of the top five polluting industries in India, and dust emissions are a major contributor to this pollution. To address this issue, the Indian government has set emissions standards for the cement industry under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the Environment Protection Act (EPA). The standards set limits on particulate matter (PM) emissions, which include dust particles, from cement plants.
The Indian cement industry has also implemented measures to reduce dust emissions such as using modern filters and control technologies, optimising production processes and providing training to employees on dust control practices. However, despite these efforts, the industry still faces challenges in meeting emissions standards, particularly for smaller, older plants. To further address the issue of dust emissions, the Indian government has launched initiatives such as the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), which aim to reduce air pollution and improve environmental cleanliness.
“We have addressed fugitive emissions in the clinker tunnels at the cement plant where the clinker is stored in the silos and a lot of dust comes out when it is discharged onto the conveyor belts. Conventionally cement plants have used back filters which are connected to exhausts located besides the discharge point, but it is common knowledge that these systems were not entirely effective, resulting in a lot of dust in the tunnels. It also made it very difficult to get maintenance done in these tunnels because anyone who enters would have to breathe dust and that is a health hazard,” says Venkatesh Ravula, CEO, DCL Bulk Technologies.
DUST EMISSION HAZARDS
Dust hazards are a significant concern in Indian cement plants due to the high levels of dust generated during production processes. Exposure to cement dust can have negative health effects on workers, including respiratory issues such as bronchitis and asthma, as well as skin and eye irritation. Some of the major sources of dust hazards in Indian cement plants include raw material handling, clinker production, and cement grinding processes. Dust can also be generated during maintenance activities such as cleaning, repair, and replacement of equipment.
To address these hazards, Indian cement plants have implemented a variety of measures, including using personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirators, dust masks, and goggles, as well as installing dust collection and control systems. In addition, training programs for employees on the safe handling and control of dust are often provided. The Indian government has also established regulations and guidelines to protect workers from dust hazards in the workplace. The Factories Act, 1948 and the Mines Act, 1952 set standards for occupational health and safety, including measures to control dust emissions and protect workers from exposure to hazardous materials.
“For achieving effective prevention and control of potential fugitive emission sources in cement manufacturing plants, specific requirements along with guidelines have been evolved by the central government. For the Indian cement industry, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has notified the norms for reduction of dust emission from cement plants, which includes Particulate Matter, SOx and NOx. The notification clearly defines the limits for above mentioned emissions, particulate matter should be <30 milligram, SOx should be <100 milligram, NOx should be <1000, 800, 600 milligrams. It depends on the age of the plant or we can say that on the commissioning date of the plant,” says Anil Gupta, Technical Head – Nimbahera Plant, JK Cement.
It is important for Indian cement plants to prioritise the implementation of dust control measures and training programmes to protect the health and safety of their workers and nearby communities.

FILTRATION TECHNIQUES AT CEMENT PLANTS
Cement plants use various types of dust filtration equipment and techniques to control dust emissions and improve air quality. Some of the common methods used include:
- Bag filters: Bag filters are commonly used in Indian cement plants to capture dust particles from the production process. These filters consist of bags made of fabric material that trap dust particles as air passes through them.
- Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs): ESPs are another type of dust filtration equipment used in Indian cement plants. They use an electrostatic charge to attract and trap dust particles.
- Cyclones: Cyclones are a type of mechanical separator that can be used to remove larger dust particles from the air. They work by creating a cyclonic effect that causes particles to be separated from the air stream.
- Wet scrubbers: Wet scrubbers are used in some Indian cement plants to capture and remove dust particles from the air. They work by spraying water onto the particles, causing them to stick to surfaces and be removed from the air.
- High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters: HEPA filters are highly efficient filters that can remove up to 99.97 per cent of particles as small as 0.3 microns. They are commonly used in cleanrooms and other sensitive environments.
In addition to these filtration techniques, Indian cement plants also use various operational and maintenance practices to reduce dust emissions, such as regular equipment cleaning and maintenance, optimising production processes to reduce dust generation, and providing training to employees on dust control practices.
“Modern mining equipment is deployed with dedicated dust separation systems. Electric/hydraulic equipped mining machinery is also being used to minimise the dust. The cement industry has been modernised by introducing specific dedusting equipment used in the production, transport, and storage processes. The installation is equipped with specific filters (bag filters or electrostatic filters). This has reduced the flue gas emission and amount of dust released into the atmosphere. The main dedusting machine is the state-of-the-art bag filter, which is available and guarantees a maximum emission of 10 mg/Nm3,” says Pankaj Kejriwal, Whole Time Director, Star Cement.
“Truck mounted road/area sweeping machines are also operated to clean the dusty area. High pressure water spray systems are used to clean the tyres of vehicles moving inside the plant to minimise the fugitive dust emission,” he adds.
DUST CONTROL NORMS IN INDIA
The Indian government has established norms and regulations to control dust and fugitive emissions from cement plants. Some of the key norms include:
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): The NAAQS set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) establish limits on air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) emissions, from all industries, including cement plants.
- Environment Protection Act (EPA): The EPA provides guidelines and regulations for controlling emissions from industries, including the cement industry.
- Cement Industry (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 2013: These rules set specific emission limits for cement plants in India. For example, the rules specify that PM emissions should not exceed 30 mg/Nm3 for dry kilns and 50 mg/Nm3 for wet kilns.
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) guidelines: There are guidelines for the installation of pollution control equipment in cement plants, including bag filters, electrostatic precipitators and wet scrubbers.
- State pollution control boards: State pollution control boards are responsible for enforcing the norms and regulations related to dust and fugitive emissions at cement plants.
Cement plants in India are required to comply with these norms and regulations to minimise their impact on the environment and public health. Failure to comply can result in fines, legal action and suspension of operations.

Exposure to cement dust may lead to health hazards for workers like respiratory issues, and skin and eye irritation.
It is important for cement plants to prioritise reducing dust emissions to protect both the environment and nearby communities from potentially harmful effects. The future of dust emission in the Indian cement industry is likely to see a continued focus on reducing emissions to improve air quality and protect public health. The industry is under increasing pressure to adopt cleaner technologies and more sustainable production processes, and there is a growing demand for environmentally friendly cement.
To meet these challenges, Indian cement plants are likely to adopt a range of strategies and technologies to reduce dust emissions, such as using low-emission fuels, implementing more efficient production processes, and investing in advanced dust filtration and control technologies. There is also likely to be increased focus on recycling and reusing waste materials to reduce environmental impact.
The Indian government is also expected to continue to play an active role in regulating dust emissions from the cement industry. This may include strengthening existing regulations and standards, as well as developing new policies and initiatives to encourage the industry to adopt more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
Overall, while the Indian cement industry faces significant challenges in reducing dust emissions, there are also many opportunities for innovation and progress. With continued investment in new technologies and sustainable production processes, the industry can help to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all.
–Kanika Mathur
Concrete
Refractory demands in our kiln have changed
Published
3 days agoon
February 20, 2026By
admin
Radha Singh, Senior Manager (P&Q), Shree Digvijay Cement, points out why performance, predictability and life-cycle value now matter more than routine replacement in cement kilns.
As Indian cement plants push for higher throughput, increased alternative fuel usage and tighter shutdown cycles, refractory performance in kilns and pyro-processing systems is under growing pressure. In this interview, Radha Singh, Senior Manager (P&Q), Shree Digvijay Cement, shares how refractory demands have evolved on the ground and how smarter digital monitoring is improving kiln stability, uptime and clinker quality.
How have refractory demands changed in your kiln and pyro-processing line over the last five years?
Over the last five years, refractory demands in our kiln and pyro line have changed. Earlier, the focus was mostly on standard grades and routine shutdown-based replacement. But now, because of higher production loads, more alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) usage and greater temperature variation, the expectation from refractory has increased.
In our own case, the current kiln refractory has already completed around 1.5 years, which itself shows how much more we now rely on materials that can handle thermal shock, alkali attack and coating fluctuations. We have moved towards more stable, high-performance linings so that we don’t have to enter the kiln frequently for repairs.
Overall, the shift has been from just ‘installation and run’ to selecting refractories that give longer life, better coating behaviour and more predictable performance under tougher operating conditions.
What are the biggest refractory challenges in the preheater, calciner and cooler zones?
• Preheater: Coating instability, chloride/sulphur cycles and brick erosion.
• Calciner: AFR firing, thermal shock and alkali infiltration.
• Cooler: Severe abrasion, red-river formation and mechanical stress on linings.
Overall, the biggest challenge is maintaining lining stability under highly variable operating conditions.
How do you evaluate and select refractory partners for long-term performance?
In real plant conditions, we don’t select a refractory partner just by looking at price. First, we see their past performance in similar kilns and whether their material has actually survived our operating conditions. We also check how strong their technical support is during shutdowns, because installation quality matters as much as the material itself.
Another key point is how quickly they respond during breakdowns or hot spots. A good partner should be available on short notice. We also look at their failure analysis capability, whether they can explain why a lining failed and suggest improvements.
On top of this, we review the life they delivered in the last few campaigns, their supply reliability and their willingness to offer plant-specific custom solutions instead of generic grades. Only a partner who supports us throughout the life cycle, which includes selection, installation, monitoring and post-failure analysis, fits our long-term requirement.
Can you share a recent example where better refractory selection improved uptime or clinker quality?
Recently, we upgraded to a high-abrasion basic brick at the kiln outlet. Earlier we had frequent chipping and coating loss. With the new lining, thermal stability improved and the coating became much more stable. As a result, our shutdown interval increased and clinker quality remained more consistent. It had a direct impact on our uptime.
How is increased AFR use affecting refractory behaviour?
Increased AFR use is definitely putting more stress on the refractory. The biggest issue we see daily is the rise in chlorine, alkalis and volatiles, which directly attack the lining, especially in the calciner and kiln inlet. AFR firing is also not as stable as conventional fuel, so we face frequent temperature fluctuations, which cause more thermal shock and small cracks in the lining.
Another real problem is coating instability. Some days the coating builds too fast, other days it suddenly drops, and both conditions impact refractory life. We also notice more dust circulation and buildup inside the calciner whenever the AFR mix changes, which again increases erosion.
Because of these practical issues, we have started relying more on alkali-resistant, low-porosity and better thermal shock–resistant materials to handle the additional stress coming from AFR.
What role does digital monitoring or thermal profiling play in your refractory strategy?
Digital tools like kiln shell scanners, IR imaging and thermal profiling help us detect weakening areas much earlier. This reduces unplanned shutdowns, helps identify hotspots accurately and allows us to replace only the critical sections. Overall, our maintenance has shifted from reactive to predictive, improving lining life significantly.
How do you balance cost, durability and installation speed during refractory shutdowns?
We focus on three points:
• Material quality that suits our thermal profile and chemistry.
• Installation speed, in fast turnarounds, we prefer monolithic.
• Life-cycle cost—the cheapest material is not the most economical. We look at durability, future downtime and total cost of ownership.
This balance ensures reliable performance without unnecessary expenditure.
What refractory or pyro-processing innovations could transform Indian cement operations?
Some promising developments include:
• High-performance, low-porosity and nano-bonded refractories
• Precast modular linings to drastically reduce shutdown time
• AI-driven kiln thermal analytics
• Advanced coating management solutions
• More AFR-compatible refractory mixes
These innovations can significantly improve kiln stability, efficiency and maintenance planning across the industry.
Concrete
Digital supply chain visibility is critical
Published
3 days agoon
February 20, 2026By
admin
MSR Kali Prasad, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Shree Cement, discusses how data, discipline and scale are turning Industry 4.0 into everyday business reality.
Over the past five years, digitalisation in Indian cement manufacturing has moved decisively beyond experimentation. Today, it is a strategic lever for cost control, operational resilience and sustainability. In this interview, MSR Kali Prasad, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Shree Cement, explains how integrated digital foundations, advanced analytics and real-time visibility are helping deliver measurable business outcomes.
How has digitalisation moved from pilot projects to core strategy in Indian cement manufacturing over the past five years?
Digitalisation in Indian cement has evolved from isolated pilot initiatives into a core business strategy because outcomes are now measurable, repeatable and scalable. The key shift has been the move away from standalone solutions toward an integrated digital foundation built on standardised processes, governed data and enterprise platforms that can be deployed consistently across plants and functions.
At Shree Cement, this transition has been very pragmatic. The early phase focused on visibility through dashboards, reporting, and digitisation of critical workflows. Over time, this has progressed into enterprise-level analytics and decision support across manufacturing and the supply chain,
with clear outcomes in cost optimisation, margin protection and revenue improvement through enhanced customer experience.
Equally important, digital is no longer the responsibility of a single function. It is embedded into day-to-day operations across planning, production, maintenance, despatch and customer servicing, supported by enterprise systems, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data platforms, and a structured approach to change management.
Which digital interventions are delivering the highest ROI across mining, production and logistics today?
In a capital- and cost-intensive sector like cement, the highest returns come from digital interventions that directly reduce unit costs or unlock latent capacity without significant capex.
Supply chain and planning (advanced analytics): Tools for demand forecasting, S&OP, network optimisation and scheduling deliver strong returns by lowering logistics costs, improving service levels, and aligning production with demand in a fragmented and regionally diverse market.
Mining (fleet and productivity analytics): Data-led mine planning, fleet analytics, despatch discipline, and idle-time reduction improve fuel efficiency and equipment utilisation, generating meaningful savings in a cost-heavy operation.
Manufacturing (APC and process analytics): Advanced Process Control, mill optimisation, and variability reduction improve thermal and electrical efficiency, stabilise quality and reduce rework and unplanned stoppages.
Customer experience and revenue enablement (digital platforms): Dealer and retailer apps, order visibility and digitally enabled technical services improve ease of doing business and responsiveness. We are also empowering channel partners with transparent, real-time information on schemes, including eligibility, utilisation status and actionable recommendations, which improves channel satisfaction and market execution while supporting revenue growth.
Overall, while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IIoT are powerful enablers, it is advanced analytics anchored in strong processes that typically delivers the fastest and most reliable ROI.
How is real-time data helping plants shift from reactive maintenance to predictive and prescriptive operations?
Real-time and near real-time data is driving a more proactive and disciplined maintenance culture, beginning with visibility and progressively moving toward prediction and prescription.
At Shree Cement, we have implemented a robust SAP Plant Maintenance framework to standardise maintenance workflows. This is complemented by IIoT-driven condition monitoring, ensuring consistent capture of equipment health indicators such as vibration, temperature, load, operating patterns and alarms.
Real-time visibility enables early detection of abnormal conditions, allowing teams to intervene before failures occur. As data quality improves and failure histories become structured, predictive models can anticipate likely failure modes and recommend timely interventions, improving MTBF and reducing downtime. Over time, these insights will evolve into prescriptive actions, including spares readiness, maintenance scheduling, and operating parameter adjustments, enabling reliability optimisation with minimal disruption.
A critical success factor is adoption. Predictive insights deliver value only when they are embedded into daily workflows, roles and accountability structures. Without this, they remain insights without action.
In a cost-sensitive market like India, how do cement companies balance digital investment with price competitiveness?
In India’s intensely competitive cement market, digital investments must be tightly linked to tangible business outcomes, particularly cost reduction, service improvement, and faster decision-making.
This balance is achieved by prioritising high-impact use cases such as planning efficiency, logistics optimisation, asset reliability, and process stability, all of which typically deliver quick payback. Equally important is building scalable and governed digital foundations that reduce the marginal cost of rolling out new use cases across plants.
Digitally enabled order management, live despatch visibility, and channel partner platforms also improve customer centricity while controlling cost-to-serve, allowing service levels to improve without proportionate increases in headcount or overheads.
In essence, the most effective digital investments do not add cost. They protect margins by reducing variability, improving planning accuracy, and strengthening execution discipline.
How is digitalisation enabling measurable reductions in energy consumption, emissions, and overall carbon footprint?
Digitalisation plays a pivotal role in improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and lowering overall carbon intensity.
Real-time monitoring and analytics enable near real-time tracking of energy consumption and critical operating parameters, allowing inefficiencies to be identified quickly and corrective actions to be implemented. Centralised data consolidation across plants enables benchmarking, accelerates best-practice adoption, and drives consistent improvements in energy performance.
Improved asset reliability through predictive maintenance reduces unplanned downtime and process instability, directly lowering energy losses. Digital platforms also support more effective planning and control of renewable energy sources and waste heat recovery systems, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Most importantly, digitalisation enables sustainability progress to be tracked with greater accuracy and consistency, supporting long-term ESG commitments.
What role does digital supply chain visibility play in managing demand volatility and regional market dynamics in India?
Digital supply chain visibility is critical in India, where demand is highly regional, seasonality is pronounced, and logistics constraints can shift rapidly.
At Shree Cement, planning operates across multiple horizons. Annual planning focuses on capacity, network footprint and medium-term demand. Monthly S&OP aligns demand, production and logistics, while daily scheduling drives execution-level decisions on despatch, sourcing and prioritisation.
As digital maturity increases, this structure is being augmented by central command-and-control capabilities that manage exceptions such as plant constraints, demand spikes, route disruptions and order prioritisation. Planning is also shifting from aggregated averages to granular, cost-to-serve and exception-based decision-making, improving responsiveness, lowering logistics costs and strengthening service reliability.
How prepared is the current workforce for Industry 4.0, and what reskilling strategies are proving most effective?
Workforce preparedness for Industry 4.0 is improving, though the primary challenge lies in scaling capabilities consistently across diverse roles.
The most effective approach is to define capability requirements by role and tailor enablement accordingly. Senior leadership focuses on digital literacy for governance, investment prioritisation, and value tracking. Middle management is enabled to use analytics for execution discipline and adoption. Frontline sales and service teams benefit from
mobile-first tools and KPI-driven workflows, while shop-floor and plant teams focus on data-driven operations, APC usage, maintenance discipline, safety and quality routines.
Personalised, role-based learning paths, supported by on-ground champions and a clear articulation of practical benefits, drive adoption far more effectively than generic training programmes.
Which emerging digital technologies will fundamentally reshape cement manufacturing in the next decade?
AI and GenAI are expected to have the most significant impact, particularly when combined with connected operations and disciplined processes.
Key technologies likely to reshape the sector include GenAI and agentic AI for faster root-cause analysis, knowledge access, and standardisation of best practices; industrial foundation models that learn patterns across large sensor datasets; digital twins that allow simulation of process changes before implementation; and increasingly autonomous control systems that integrate sensors, AI, and APC to maintain stability with minimal manual intervention.
Over time, this will enable more centralised monitoring and management of plant operations, supported by strong processes, training and capability-building.
Concrete
Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation
Published
3 days agoon
February 20, 2026By
admin
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.
Refractory demands in our kiln have changed
Digital supply chain visibility is critical
Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation
Cement Additives for Improved Grinding Efficiency
Digital Pathways for Sustainable Manufacturing
Refractory demands in our kiln have changed
Digital supply chain visibility is critical
Redefining Efficiency with Digitalisation
Cement Additives for Improved Grinding Efficiency
Digital Pathways for Sustainable Manufacturing
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