Concrete

A cement plant is a high energy intensive unit

Published

3 years ago

October 19, 2023

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Pankaj Kejriwal, Managing Director, Star Cement, delves into the importance of optimising refractories to make cement manufacturing more cost efficient and eco-friendly.

Tell us about the role of energy in the manufacturing of cement? What is the volume of energy consumption?
A cement plant is a high energy intensive unit. For manufacturing of cement, both thermal energy and electrical energy is required. In the year 2022-23, thermal energy consumption was 27.50 lakh mKcal (82 per cent of total energy) and electrical energy consumption was 5.97 lakh mKcal (18 per cent of total energy). In the cement industry, about 60 kWh of electrical energy is consumed to produce one ton of cement.
The power consumption pattern is as follows:

What are the various modes of energy sources used by your organisation for its manufacturing needs?
The electrical power is taken from various sources such as IEX through open access from state electricity grid and our own captive coal/biomass fuel based thermal power plant, bamboo chips and AFR like RDF is also being used in our plants. We have recently commissioned a 12.3 MW waste heat recovery system (WHRS) plant, and another 12.5 MW WHRS plant is in the pipeline. We are also installing about 15 MW of solar power plant.
The thermal energy is produced by coal in kiln. Linkage coal is utilised in kiln along with various local or purchased coal.

Which of the said energy sources yields maximum productivity for the plant and which yields the least?
Coal, pet coke and electricity are the dominant energy sources used in cement plants, although plants will burn a variety of other fuels, including tires, biomass, RDF and other waste fuels.
As per the mentioned energy sources, WHRS with CPP is our first priority whereas grid (IEX) power is the least priority energy source. As an AFR, we are using bamboo chips, bamboo briquettes and waste plastic bags in our plant. The green energy sources have large impact on the productivity and cost of cement manufacturing. It reduces the carbon emission. As a cost impact, it reduces power cost by 12 per cent in CPP and 1.5 per cent in process plant approximately.

What are the alternative energy sources that are being adapted by the cement industry and your organisation?
The main alternative fuels used in cement industry are residue oil and solvents, contaminated garbage, process waste from food industry / pharma industry, used tires and rubber waste, plastic waste, sewage sludge and waste animal meal. Star Cement uses alternative energy sources such as biomass like municipal waste, bamboo chips and are also installing a 15 MW solar energy plant.

What is the impact of greener energy sources on the productivity and cost of cement manufacturing?
Alternative fuels utilisation in cement industry reduces the production cost and also reduces the coal requirement, coal handling/grinding etc.

How does automation and technology help in optimising the use of energy in cement plants?
By leveraging the power of automation and AI-driven analytics, the cement industry can reduce maintenance costs, enhance equipment reliability, and achieve higher energy efficiency, ultimately leading to improved productivity and profitability.
We are also focusing on automation and technology up gradation to optimise the use of energy in cement plants. To achieve this, various steps has been taken towards energy conservation and technology absorption, few are as mentioned below:
• Installed VFD in Primary Air blower by which control the rpm of blower as per process requirement and saved the energy 86,000 kWh per year.
• Optimisation of RABH purging operation. Total power saving is 2,80,000 kwh per year.
• VFD installed in VRM bag filter of 55 Kw motor, by which saving achieved 7920 kWh per year.
• Increased clinker production and optimised
the running of the different circuits, by which specific power consumption is reduced by 1.08 kwh/MT clinker.
• Optimised the coal firing system and higher clinker production reduced the specific heat consumption by 7 Kcal/kg clinker.
• Installed tertiary crusher in raw mill circuit, thereby increasing ball mill output and reducing power consumption b 2 KW / tonne of raw meal.

What are the major challenges your organisation faces in managing the energy needs of cement manufacturers?
The major challenges for our organisation in managing the energy needs for the cement manufacturing process is the less availability of alternative fuels in plant locality. The segregation of waste is yet to improve and also the Polluter Pay Principle is not being implemented effectively,
thereby increasing the cost of alternative fuel at our factory gate.
Cement industry have a long way to go as far as alternate fuel and raw material usage is concerned.
In spite of several policy, regulatory or technological barriers that industry is facing, now is the opportune time for the Indian cement industry to focus all its efforts in furthering AFR utilisation in its processes.

Tell us about the compliance and standards followed by you to maintain energy use and efficiency in the organisation?
Our organisation is a designated consumer under PAT cycle 2 and 3. We are following all the compliance and standards as per BEE guidelines to achieve our Specific Energy Consumption targets as directed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, Government of India.
As per BEE guidelines Mandatory Energy Audit, monitoring and verification audits are conducted to ensure optimum use of energy after every three years. We have also conducted detailed energy audit by CII, Hyderabad, in May 2023 as an additional exercise.

What kind of innovations in the area of energy consumption do you wish to see in the cement industry?
Use of solar power, hydrogen fuel and maximising the use of AFR are the areas of innovations, we wish to see in the cement industry in near future. Also increasing the efficiency of WHR boilers will help in better recovering the waste heat.
Along with cheaper and greener fuel sources, we would like technology to further reduce the
energy consumption in the grinding process.
Usage of alternative materials, which reduce the overall clinker component in blended cement like LC3 will also go a long way in reducing the
energy requirements.

-Kanika Mathur

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CII Calls for Greater Alternative Fuel Use in Cement Industry

Published

3 hours ago

October 29, 2026

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The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), through its Green Business Centre and Energy Efficiency Council, inaugurated the 16th Conference on Alternative Fuel and Raw Material Usage (AFR) in Goa on 27 October 2026. The two-day conference brought together more than 350 industry leaders, policymakers, waste management experts and technology providers to explore strategies for accelerating alternative fuel adoption in India’s cement industry.

Held under the theme ‘Preparation for Net-Zero: Alternative Fuels & Raw Material in Cement Manufacturing’, the conference focused on reducing dependence on conventional fuels, improving waste utilisation and strengthening circular economy practices across cement manufacturing operations.

E R Raj Narayanan, Chairman, AFR Conference 2026, and Business Head and Chief Manufacturing Officer, UltraTech Cement, highlighted the industry’s progress in alternative fuel adoption. He emphasised the need to scale implementation, strengthen supply chains and extend circularity beyond fuel substitution to alternative raw materials through technological innovation and industry collaboration.

Harish Adconkar, Managing Director, Goa Waste Management Corporation, highlighted Goa’s progress in scientific waste management and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production. He stated that approximately 765,000 tonnes of RDF had been supplied to cement plants, contributing to an estimated displacement of 320,000–560,000 tonnes of coal. He emphasised the importance of consistent RDF offtake and stronger coordination between urban local bodies, waste management agencies and cement manufacturers.

Dr L P Singh, Director General, National Council for Cement and Building Materials, identified AFR as an important opportunity for decarbonisation and resource efficiency. Drawing parallels with the industry’s successful utilisation of fly ash, he stressed the need to address quality, technological and economic challenges to expand alternative fuel adoption.

Dr Sharad P Kale, Special Advisor to the Chief Minister of Goa and former Head of Technology Transfer and Collaboration at BARC, emphasised treating waste as a resource. He highlighted decentralised biodegradable waste processing, reduced food waste and improved resource recovery as essential measures for minimising landfill dependence.

Kiran Ananth, Executive Director, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Green Entrepreneurship, CII-Green Business Centre, noted that India’s cement production reached approximately 491 million tonnes in FY2025-26, while the industry’s thermal substitution rate (TSR) stood at 7.5 per cent, with around 7 million tonnes of alternative fuels utilised annually.

He added that the industry had invested over Rs 12 billion in co-processing infrastructure during the past six years. Improving RDF supply reliability and quality assurance would be crucial to maximising the utilisation of existing infrastructure and accelerating industrial decarbonisation.

The conference also featured discussions on advanced AFR co-processing technologies, waste pre-processing solutions and industrial best practices for improving fuel substitution and resource recovery.

A publication titled ‘From Waste to Kiln: Scaling the Use of MSW-Derived RDF in Indian Cement Plants’ was launched during the inaugural session. The report identified inconsistent RDF supply and quality as major barriers to achieving higher thermal substitution rates.

According to the publication, many cement kilns already possess the technical capability to achieve higher alternative fuel substitution. However, variations in RDF availability, moisture content, particle size and calorific value continue to limit utilisation. The report emphasised the need to strengthen waste segregation, pre-processing and aggregation systems to establish reliable RDF supply chains.

The conference’s second-day agenda includes discussions on innovative domestic and industrial waste management solutions, alternative raw materials for low-carbon cement and strategies to increase alternative fuel utilisation across India’s cement manufacturing sector.

Concrete

Sameera Group Enters Industrial and Logistics Real Estate

Rs. 1.5 bn project to support manufacturing and supply-chain firms

Published

23 hours ago

October 28, 2026

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Sameera Group has entered the industrial and logistics real estate segment with a 450,000 sq ft development in Sriperumbudur, Chennai. The group will invest Rs. 1.5 bn in the project, expanding beyond residential plotted developments into business-to-business real estate.

The proposed park will serve light manufacturing, e-commerce, third-party logistics and other supply-chain businesses. Building plan approvals have been secured, with construction expected to begin shortly. The development is scheduled to become operational within 12 to 15 months.

Sameera Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Jayakumar Murugesan said the project marked the next stage of the company’s growth after nearly four decades in land acquisition and real estate development. He attributed the choice of Sriperumbudur to its industrial activity and growth prospects.

The Grade A development will include internal movement routes and shared infrastructure for modern manufacturing and logistics operations. The group is pursuing Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum certification and plans to provide rooftop solar readiness, rainwater harvesting, wastewater recycling, energy and water monitoring, and electric vehicle charging facilities.

The project is being developed amid increased demand for industrial and warehousing space in Chennai. Knight Frank’s India Warehousing Market Report 2026 recorded 8.3 mn sq ft of warehousing transactions in the city during 2025, up 42 per cent from the previous year, with manufacturing accounting for 59 per cent of demand. The Sriperumbudur-Oragadam cluster contributed 77 per cent of transactions.

Sameera Group plans to develop 5 to 6 mn sq ft across a larger industrial and logistics portfolio over the next five years, involving an estimated investment of Rs. 18 bn. Land has been acquired for projects in Chennai, Hosur and Bengaluru. Established in 1982, the group has developed more than 900 acres, sold over 13,700 residential plots, and currently has 35 projects under development and 28 in its pipeline.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement Expands in Andhra Pradesh with Rs. 26.5 bn

Petnikota plant adds 3.6 MTPA cement dispatch capacity

Published

6 days ago

October 23, 2026

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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.