Concrete

Increasing Use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials to Achieve Carbon Reduction Targets

Published

3 years ago

October 19, 2023

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Jens Mose and John Terembula, Product Line Management, FLSmidth A/S, discuss why Vertical Roller Mills (VRM) are the best grinding solution for SCMs, in this second part of a three-part series looking at how Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) can help cement manufacturers reduce carbon emissions.

Current examples of SCM adoption
India is a successful adopter of SCMs, with an average clinker factor of 0.71 in 2017. This is largely thanks to the introduction of standards for composite cements in 2015, as well as the widespread availability of fly ash from thermal power plants. Portland Pozzolanic Cement (PPC) had approximately 65 per cent market share in 2017, and the clinker factor of PPC was also improved from 0.68 in 2010 to 0.65 in 2017. Portland Slag Cement (PSC) makes up about 10 per cent of the market and also reduced clinker content in that time from 0.55 to 0.40. Meanwhile, ACC has achieved a clinker factor as low as 44 per cent through the use of fly ash from power plants and slag from steel production.
In the sub-continental India region, FLSmidth has supplied grinding systems with all types of mills. The most common grinding systems installed over the last 10 years are VRM or HRP with ball mill in semi-finish arrangement. One example is the Guinness World Record holder, the largest VRM for cement grinding at Shah Cement in Bangladesh. That mill regularly produces both PPC and PSC Cements.
Throughout Asia, a wide range of blended cements are made encompassing many different additive materials including trass, which is very hard-to-grind overburden from the quarry. Stable/reliable operation has been proven in the OK Mill even with this difficult material.
In other parts of the world, the uptake of SCMs varies. For example, in Brazil the nationwide average clinker-to-cement ratio is below 70 per cent , with blast furnace slag from steel mills the most widely used SCM . The country is targeting reductions in clinker content to 59 per cent in 2030 and 52 per cent in 2050 and will need to increase the use of limestone filler and calcined clays to meet these targets.
In Brazil, the VRM has been the standard for new cement grinding for the last 10+ years, with OK Mills accounting for 28 per cent of the country’s total cement production in 2015.
Meanwhile, in the US, the use of SCMs by cement manufacturers is on the rise , as more cement plants adopt ASTM C595 Standard (American Society for Testing and Materials), which allows up to 15 per cent limestone within Type 1L or Portland Limestone Cement (PLC). PLC is currently seeing a dramatic upward trend, thanks to widespread acceptance by end users like the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Which mills are best for SCMs?
The grinding operation is critical to the success of SCMs, to achieve the necessary particle size distribution. Some materials can be ground together with the rest of your cement mix (so-called ‘intergrinding’), while others may benefit from a separate grinding operation. Likewise, water demand (to increase workability) can present another sustainability concern.
In terms of the best mill type, the answer is almost always VRM. Over the last few decades, the industry has been gradually moving towards the use of VRM for both raw and cement grinding, due largely to the reduced energy consumption compared to ball mills: a saving of between 30 and 50 per cent. This transition will prove crucial as the adoption of SCMs increases, from a practical as well as economic and environmental perspective. VRM provides much greater flexibility to grind several different materials, to switch between different cement mixes, and to adjust to changing material characteristics – all while protecting quality.
For example, FLSmidth has a customer using the OK Mill to grind 100 per cent slag with raw feed containing more than 20 per cent moisture to produce moisture levels less than 1 per cent. This is only possible thanks to the drying capacity of the VRM. This level of flexibility is imperative to SCM adoption.
Ultimately, product quality is defined by cement strength development and setting times. To achieve the best result, you need optimal particle size distribution and dehydration of the gypsum within the cement. And for that, the precise operational controls of the VRM are a clear advantage over other mill types, enabling you to optimise the system’s temperature profile, mill airflow, separator speed and grinding pressure for optimum efficiency and productivity.

1- https://docs.wbcsd.org/2018/11/WBCSD_CSI_India_Review.pdf
2- Weston, J. ‘Brazil gives OK to VRM’, International Cement Review, 20 June 2016
3-https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/dotcom/client_service/infrastructure/pdfs/pathways_low_carbon_economy_brazil.ashx
4- http://snic.org.br/assets/pdf/roadmap/roadmap-tecnologico-do-cimento-brasil.pdf
5- https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1152/2005-1152.pdf p.10

You can find part one in the August issue of Indian Cement Review and part 3 in the upcoming October issue.

(Communication by the management of the company)

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UltraTech Cement FY26 PAT Crosses Rs 80 bn

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2 days ago

April 29, 2026

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UltraTech Cement reported record financial performance for Q4 and FY26, supported by strong volumes, higher profitability and improved cost efficiency. Consolidated net sales for Q4 FY26 rose 12 per cent year-on-year to Rs 254.67 billion, while PBIDT increased 20 per cent to Rs 56.88 billion. PAT, excluding exceptional items, grew 21 per cent to Rs 30.11 billion.

For FY26, consolidated net sales stood at Rs 873.84 billion, up 17 per cent from Rs 749.36 billion in FY25. PBIDT rose 32 per cent to Rs 175.98 billion, while PAT increased 36 per cent to Rs 83.05 billion, crossing the Rs 80 billion mark for the first time.

India grey cement volumes reached 42.41 million tonnes in Q4 FY26, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, with capacity utilisation at 89 per cent. Full-year India grey cement volumes stood at 145 million tonnes. Energy costs declined 3 per cent, aided by a higher green power mix of 43 per cent in Q4.

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Concrete

Towards Mega Batching

Optimised batching can drive overall efficiencies in large projects.

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3 days ago

April 28, 2026

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India’s pace of infrastructure development is pushing the construction sector to work at a significantly higher scale than previously. Tight deadlines necessitate eliminating concreting delays, especially in large and mega projects, which, in turn, imply installing the right batching plant and ensuring batching is efficient. CW explores these steps as well as the gaps in India’s batching plant market.

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Concrete

Andhra Offers Discom Licences To Private Firms Outside Power Sector

Policy allows firms over 300 MW to seek distribution licences

Published

4 days ago

April 27, 2026

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The Andhra Pradesh government will allow private firms that require more than 300 megawatt (MW) of power to apply for distribution licences, making the state the first to extend such licences beyond the power sector. The policy targets information technology, pharmaceuticals, steel and data centres and aims to reduce reliance on state utilities as demand rises for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Approved applicants will be able to procure electricity directly from generators through power purchase agreements, a change officials said will create more competitive tariffs and reduce supply risk. Licence holders will use the Andhra Pradesh Transmission Company (APTRANSCO) network on payment of charges and will not need a separate distribution network initially.

Licences will be granted under the Electricity Act, 2003 framework, with the Central and State electricity regulators retaining authority over terms and approvals. The recent Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sought to lower entry barriers, enable network sharing and encourage competition, while the state commission will set floor and ceiling tariffs where multiple discoms operate.

Industry players and original equipment manufacturers welcomed the policy, saying competitive supply is vital for large data centre investments. Major projects and partnerships such as those involving Adani and Google, Brookfield and Reliance, and Meta and Sify Technologies are expected to benefit as capacity expands in the state.

Analysts noted India’s data centre capacity is forecast to reach 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and cited International Energy Agency estimates that global data centre electricity consumption could approach 945 terawatt hours by the same year. A one GW data centre needs an equivalent power allocation and one point five times the water, which authorities equated to 150 billion litres (150 bn litres).

Advisers warned that distribution licences will require close regulation and monitoring to prevent misuse and to ensure tariffs and supply obligations are met. Officials said the policy aims to balance investor requirements with regulatory oversight and could serve as a model for other states.