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Green Hydrogen

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Ujjwal Parwal, Founder & Director, RationalStat LLC, shares a report on the role of green hydrogen as an alternative fuel for cement production.

According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) most recent predictions, which were released at the end of 2019, the world’s energy demand will rise by 25 to 30 per cent by 2040, resulting in an increase in CO2 emissions in an economy dependent on coal and oil and exacerbating climate change. Decarbonizing the earth envisions a different world in 2050, powered by clean energy like green hydrogen, which is more accessible, effective and sustainable.
To create green hydrogen, low-carbon or renewable energy sources are used, which significantly reduces carbon emissions as compared to grey hydrogen, the majority of the hydrogen market is produced by steam-reforming natural gas. The cement industry might use green hydrogen as an alternative fuel, reducing its carbon footprint.

Challenges of Using Green Hydrogen
However, the cost of manufacturing green hydrogen is currently higher than conventional fossil fuels, and there is still a lack of infrastructure for the production, storage, and transportation of green hydrogen.
Despite these challenges, there are already instances of cement manufacturers looking into using green hydrogen. For example, Cemex announced its intention to power its cement mill in Germany with green hydrogen in 2021, and HeidelbergCement aims to run its manufacturing process on carbon-neutral fuels like green hydrogen by 2030.

Market Insights on Green Hydrogen
According to RationalStat, the green hydrogen industry is expected to experience rapid growth in the years to come, with global green hydrogen production capacity anticipated to increase from 2,000 MW in 2020 to 2,852 MW by the end of 2021. Although this is a substantial rise in capacity, it still represents only a small portion of the overall world energy demand.
Nonetheless, several nations and businesses have ambitious goals for the development of the green hydrogen sector. For instance, Germany plans to add 5 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, while the European Union has set a goal of 40 GW by the same year. Australia aims to lead the green hydrogen export industry to Asia, with plans to produce 1 GW and 10 GW of hydrogen by 2025 and 2040, respectively.

The India Perspective
India is well-positioned to become a leading producer and consumer of green hydrogen as a result of ample and low-cost raw materials. India’s Green Hydrogen production capacity is likely to reach at least 5 million tonnes per annum during the forecast period, annually. The Indian government has been strongly striving to use green hydrogen as energy in the cement and steel industry in place of coal in a bid to protect the environment.
A strong government push towards green hydrogen production under its National Green Hydrogen Mission will scale up the production. The government’s incentive aims to make green hydrogen cheaper and bring down its production cost, currently at INR 300 to INR 400 per kg.

Notable Events across India’s Green Hydrogen Market
In April 2022, Oil India, a Government of India enterprise, commissioned the country’s only pure green hydrogen pilot plant with an installed capacity of 10 kg per day at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam.
In February 2023, the Department of Science and Technology and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems signed a letter of intent for a long-term collaboration focusing on hydrogen and other clean technologies.

  • Also, the European Investment Bank signed a memorandum of understanding with the India Hydrogen Alliance to provide ~US$1.06 billion to develop large-scale green hydrogen hubs and projects across India.
  • In January 2023, Essar Group announced to invest US$ 1.2 billion for green hydrogen production.
  • In 2022, L&T installed a green hydrogen plant that will produce 45 kg of green hydrogen daily, which will be used for captive consumption at the company’s Hazira manufacturing complex.
  • In 2022, Karnataka signed two major projects relating to hydrogen production, adding to the ongoing efforts to cement energy security through green initiatives.

Key Countries Exploring Green Hydrogen
While there are several countries exploring or using green hydrogen as an alternative fuel for the cement industry, it is important to note that this is still an emerging technology, and adoption varies widely by region.
Germany: The German cement industry is actively exploring the use of green hydrogen as an alternative fuel to reduce CO2 emissions. A joint research project between the German Cement Works Association and the Technical University of Munich aims to develop a large-scale pilot plant for green hydrogen use in cement production.
Norway: Norwegian company Norcem is the first cement producer in the world to use hydrogen as a fuel in cement production. The company has been using hydrogen since 2020 and aims to achieve zero emissions by 2030.
Spain: Spanish cement company Cemex has signed an agreement with energy company Iberdrola to develop a green hydrogen production plant in the Canary Islands that will supply the cement industry.
Australia: Australian cement company Adelaide Brighton Cement is partnering with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to investigate the use of green hydrogen as a fuel in cement production.
Netherlands: Dutch cement company HeidelbergCement is partnering with Dutch gas infrastructure company Gasunie to develop a pilot project for the use of hydrogen in
cement production.

Largest Green Hydrogen Producer
China maintains the first place in hydrogen production and consumption of more than 24 million metric tonnes (Mt) followed by the European Union (EU), India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The development of Chinese markets and technologies at each stage of the value chain is strongly supported by the Chinese government as part of the country’s push toward green hydrogen. State-owned businesses and state research and development institutions are working enthusiastically to create hydrogen technologies in anticipation of a significant expansion of the sector.
By 2050, it is predicted that hydrogen would make up 10–12 per cent of China’s energy consumption and up to 22 per cent globally. For the country to reach this point sustainably and in line with its emission targets, cheap and scalable green hydrogen technology such as electrolysers is needed. Within a few years, green hydrogen is predicted to be priced at parity with grey hydrogen, which is currently less expensive, as costs for carbon-rich fuels rise and electrolysis technology develops.
According to RationalStat, the following are the four pillars of China’s Green Hydrogen Industry:

  • R&D Investment: More than half of the green hydrogen (water electrolysis) patents filed in 2018 and 2019 worldwide were registered in China.
  • Policy Support: Over 500 hydrogen-related policies have been released by the local and provincial governments.
  • Project Development: More than 120 green hydrogen projects are under construction, further increasing the production capacity.
  • Industrial Build-up: China has installed an electrolyzer capacity to reach 38GW by 2030.
  • These are just a few examples of countries and companies exploring the use of green hydrogen as an alternative fuel for the cement industry. However, it’s important to note that this is an emerging technology and its adoption varies widely by region.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ujjwal Parwal is the Director and Founder of RationalStat LLC, a leading global market research and procurement intelligence firm with 10+ years of industry expertise.

Concrete

India Sets Up First Carbon Capture Testbeds for Cement Industry

Five CCU testbeds launched to decarbonise cement production

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The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently unveiled a pioneering national initiative: five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first-of-its-kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.
This is a significant step towards India’s Climate Action for fostering National Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and to achieve net zero decarbonisation pathways for Industry Transition., towards the Government’s goal to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2070.
Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) holds significant importance in hard-to-abate sectors like Cement, Steel, Power, Oil &Natural Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers in reducing emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes and converting it to value add products such as synthetic fuels, Urea, Soda, Ash, chemicals, food grade CO2 or concrete aggregates. CCU provides a feasible pathway for these tough to decarbonise industries to lower their carbon footprint and move towards achieving Net Zero Goals while continuing their operations efficiently. DST has taken major strides in fostering R&D in the CCUS domain.
Concrete is vital for India’s economy and the Cement industry being one of the main hard-to-abate sectors, is committed to align with the national decarbonisation commitments. New technologies to decarbonise emission intensity of the cement sector would play a key role in achieving of national net zero targets.
Recognizing the critical need for decarbonising the Cement sector, the Energy and Sustainable Technology (CEST) Division of Department launched a unique call for mobilising Academia-Industry Consortia proposals for deployment of Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) in Cement Sector. This Special call envisaged to develop and deploy innovative CCU Test bed in Cement Sector with thrust on Developing CO2 capture + CO2 Utilisation integrated unit in an Industrial set up through an innovative Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding model.
As a unique initiative and one of its first kind in India, DST has approved setting up of five CCU testbeds for translational R&D, to be set up in Academia-Industry collaboration under this significant initiative of DST in PPP mode, engaging with premier research laboratories as knowledge partners and top Cement companies as the industry partner.
On the occasion of National Technology Day celebrations, on May 11, 2025 the 5 CCU Cement Test beds were announced and grants had been handed over to the Test bed teams by the Chief Guest, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh in the presence of Secretary DST Prof. Abhay Karandikar.
The five testbeds are not just academic experiments — they are collaborative industrial pilot projects bringing together India’s top research institutions and leading cement manufacturers under a unique Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Each testbed addresses a different facet of CCU, from cutting-edge catalysis to vacuum-based gas separation.
The outcomes of this innovative initiative will not only showcase the pathways of decarbonisation towards Net zero goals through CCU route in cement sector, but should also be a critical confidence building measure for potential stakeholders to uptake the deployed CCU technology for further scale up and commercialisation.
It is envisioned that through continuous research and innovation under these test beds in developing innovative catalysts, materials, electrolyser technology, reactors, and electronics, the cost of Green Cement via the deployed CCU technology in Cement Sector may considerably be made more sustainable.
Secretary DBT Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Dr Ajai Choudhary, Co-Founder HCL, Dr. Rajesh Pathak, Secretary, TDB, Dr Anita Gupta Head CEST, DST and Dr Neelima Alam, Associate Head, DST were also present at the programme organized at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

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Concrete

JK Lakshmi Adopts EVs to Cut Emissions in Logistics

Electric vehicles deployed between JK Puram and Kalol units

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JK Lakshmi Cement, a key player in the Indian cement industry, has announced the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) in its logistics operations. This move, made in partnership with SwitchLabs Automobiles, will see EVs transporting goods between the JK Puram Plant in Sirohi, Rajasthan, and the Kalol Grinding Unit in Gujarat.
The announcement follows a successful pilot project that showcased measurable reductions in carbon emissions while maintaining efficiency. Building on this, the company is scaling up EV integration to enhance sustainability across its supply chain.
“Sustainability is integral to our vision at JK Lakshmi Cement. Our collaboration with SwitchLabs Automobiles reflects our continued focus on driving innovation in our logistics operations while taking responsibility for our environmental footprint. This initiative positions us as a leader in transforming the cement sector’s logistics landscape,” said Arun Shukla, President & Director, JK Lakshmi Cement.
This deployment marks a significant step in aligning with India’s push for greener transport infrastructure. By embracing clean mobility, JK Lakshmi Cement is setting an example for the industry, demonstrating that environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with operational efficiency.
The company continues to embed sustainability into its operations as part of a broader goal to reduce its carbon footprint. This initiative adds to its vision of building a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
JK Lakshmi Cement, part of the 135-year-old JK Organisation, began operations in 1982 and has grown to become a recognised name in Indian cement. With a presence across Northern, Western, and Eastern India, the company has a cement capacity of 16.5 MTPA, with a target to reach 30 MT by 2030. Its product range includes ready-mix concrete, gypsum plaster, wall putty, and autoclaved aerated fly ash blocks.

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Concrete

Holcim UK drives sustainable construction

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Holcim UK has released a report titled ‘Making Sustainable Construction a Reality,’ outlining its five-fold commitment to a greener future. The company aims to focus on decarbonisation, circular economy principles, smarter building methods, community engagement, and integrating nature. Based on a survey of 2,000 people, only 41 per cent felt urban spaces in the UK are sustainably built. A significant majority (82 per cent) advocated for more green spaces, 69 per cent called for government leadership in sustainability, and 54 per cent saw businesses as key players. Additionally, 80 per cent of respondents stressed the need for greater transparency from companies regarding their environmental practices.

Image source:holcim

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