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I foresee a good future for the cement market

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Rajesh Pathak, Managing Director, Schenck Process Solutions India, talks about how kiln performance can be improved with the use of advanced technology.

Tell us about the MULTICOR® processing system by Schenck Process.
MULTICOR® is a weighing and feeding equipment. The highlight of this system is its high accuracy and consistency. This system helps to improve and better the kiln performance in cement industries. It is a German technology, which is being used for various cement plants, and fits best with the demand of accuracy that is a prerequisite for the cement manufacturers. Our system helps better the
kiln process.

How does MULTICOR® help cement plants to achieve high accuracy in feeding?
In the past, obtaining precise results using mechanical equipment was a challenge. Today MULTICOR® uses a unique measuring system based upon Coriolis Principle, wherein a constant speed motor is used to drive the MULTICOR®. Any variation in feed rate results in change in motor torque, which is measured by loadcell fitted with specially designed mechanism. This input is given to the controller DISOCONT TERSUS, which controls the pre-feeder to nullify the variation in MULTICOR® output thereby resulting in constant feed rate. Whenever it comes to continuous metering, controlling and feeding of significant material amounts, we offer MULTICOR® mass flow meters and feeders to our customers. For example: The heating of the raw meal to make cement clinker takes place in rotary kilns at a temperature of around 1450° C. The raw meal is fed into the kiln by MULTICOR® mass flow feed devices, which exploit the Coriolis effect, works as per the pull principle. Further the MULTICOR® mass flow meters are also used for coal dosing into the kiln and calciners.

Are your systems tailor made to customer requirements?
Since our core value is to meet customer expectations, we meet and understand customer requirements and make alterations in the system for it to fit suitably in their process. There are two different types of MULTICOR® systems for Pyro; (a) For Coal-Schenck offers combination of MULTICELL® (pre-feeder) + MULTICOR® K (Measuring Unit) (b) For Raw Meal- Schenck offers combination of Dosing Valve (pre-feeder) + MULTICOR® S (Measuring Unit).

What impact does your system create on the cost efficiency for cement manufacturers?
• Assists in meeting CO2 reduction targets.
• Better ROI.
• Retrofitting of solutions into existing plants.
• Co-operation with a global solution provider, who understands the market and production
needs.
• Enabling cement producers to reduce their investment levels in capital equipment and operating costs, utilising the MULTICOR® systems.
It is simple to install due to its in-line implementation and compact construction. Maintenance and repair costs are both very low.

How does your equipment incorporate eco-friendly measures?
Our equipment operates in a manner that uses power optimally. Believing in the principle that power saved is power generated, we contribute towards a greener future for cement.

How do you envision your future with the Indian cement industry?
I hope that in the coming years, the market will keep looking for advanced technology roadmap. With improvement in the infrastructure development, our equipment and system/solutions will be an integral part of the growth journey of cement industry. I foresee a good future for the cement market.
Schenck Process has more than 200 installations of MULTICOR® systems in India and the numbers are growing with high degree of customer satisfaction. The repeat orders from the major cement OEMs are a vote of confidence for Schenck Process for high quality, performance and best services.

-Kanika Mathur

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

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UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.

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Concrete

Shiva Cement Merges with JSW Cement

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JSW Cement has announced a scheme of arrangement to merge its listed subsidiary Shiva Cement with itself, creating a single unified cement platform. The boards of both companies have approved the proposal, which will require clearances from stock exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the National Company Law Tribunal, Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation and other applicable authorities.

The transaction is expected to be completed within 12 to 14 months, subject to the necessary approvals from regulators, shareholders and creditors. Under the scheme, JSW Cement will issue 5 equity shares with a face value of Rs. 10 each for every 41 equity shares with a face value of Rs. 2 each held by Shiva Cement shareholders other than JSW Cement.

The company said the merger would consolidate financial, managerial, technical, distribution and marketing resources while reducing administrative duplication and compliance requirements. It would also provide greater funding flexibility, potentially lower financing costs and eliminate inter-company guarantees.

The consolidation is expected to strengthen backward integration by enabling JSW Cement to use Shiva Cement’s clinker manufacturing facility. This would reduce dependence on external clinker procurement and improve supply-chain efficiency. Public shareholders of Shiva Cement would receive direct ownership in JSW Cement, which has a broader institutional investor base and a more liquid listed presence.

JSW Cement acquired a controlling stake in Shiva Cement through transactions that began in January 2017. Shiva Cement operates a clinker facility in Odisha, near the borders of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and commissioned a 1 mtpa cement grinding unit at Sambalpur in FY26 through a commercial arrangement with Bhushan Power and Steel.

JSW Cement has 24.10 mtpa of cement grinding capacity and 9.74 mtpa of clinkerisation capacity. Its Indian operations comprise nine plants, including two integrated units, one clinker unit and six grinding units. The proposed merger is intended to simplify the corporate structure and align the financial statements of the two companies.

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UltraTech’s Kukurdih unit runs fully on green energy

The Chhattisgarh plant has met 100 per cent of its electricity needs through green energy since April 2026.

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UltraTech Cement’s Kukurdih Cement Works in Chhattisgarh has met 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through green energy every month since April 2026. Commissioned in 2024, the integrated cement manufacturing unit has an installed grey cement capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum.
The plant meets its electricity requirement through a combination of renewable power sourcing and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS). UltraTech said the combination enables the unit to meet its power needs through green energy while maintaining operational reliability.
Since April 2026, nearly a third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirement. Five units, including Kukurdih, have exceeded 95 per cent green energy utilisation.
The company is also progressively deploying Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across its manufacturing network to support greater integration of renewable energy. UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity at its integrated units, including greenfield projects and brownfield expansions, for more than 10 years.
As of Q1FY27, UltraTech’s captive green energy capacity stood at 1,897 MW, comprising 1,463 MW of renewable capacity from solar, wind and hybrid sources, and 434 MW of WHRS capacity.
Under its RE100 commitment, the company aims to increase the share of green power in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.

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