Concrete

Use of SCMs in Green Buildings

Published

3 years ago

November 20, 2023

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Arun Shukla, President and Director, JK Lakshmi Cement, elucidates how supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are evolving as an indispensable route toward a sustainable future.

Construction activities and large-scale infrastructure development form the bedrock of economic progress. At present, growing population, rapid urbanisation, commercialisation and increasing residential needs are catapulting demand for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. However, the alarming rise in environmental concerns including climate change and pollution have made it critical for the construction sector to prioritise sustainability for a greener and better future. As per reports, the construction sector accounts for 23 per cent of air pollution, 40 per cent of drinking water pollutants, and 50 per cent of landfill wastes. At this juncture, it thus becomes crucial to find the right balance between development and sustainability, and innovative concepts like green buildings have emerged as a practical solution for it.
While green buildings carry tremendous potential to reduce environmental impact, they further bring additional advantages such as improving energy efficiency, promoting better air quality and healthier ecosystems, efficient resource utilisation and minimising wastage. According to data, green buildings can reduce energy consumption by 20-30 per cent, water usage by 30-50 per cent, and significantly reduce waste generation through extensive recycling. Considering the rise in construction activities to meet the current and future demands, development of green building is both beneficial and a necessity.
Since utilising sustainable materials is key to promote green construction practices, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) can take the benefits of green buildings to another level. SCMs are not only environmentally friendly, but are a potent solution to inch closer to sustainable development and decarbonisation goals as well.

Understanding SCMs
Simply put, SCMs are materials or substances which are added to concrete to make it more environmentally friendly, durable and enhance its performance. They not only improve the strength of concrete but bring huge sustainability-related benefits as they require lower energy for production and support in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As per estimates, for every tonne of clinker replaced by SCMs, the carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by around 0.8 tonnes.
It is noteworthy that SCMs are mostly by-products coming out from various industries, which makes them highly beneficial in terms of utilising waste materials and promoting efficient resource utilisation for both environmental and economic gains. The various types of SCMs that are used to enhance concrete’s performance and properties include fly ash which is a by-product of coal combustion in power plants. Fly ash contains silica and alumina and improves concrete workability, reducing heat generation and increasing long-term strength.
Another SCM is silica fume, which is a fine material produced during silicon metal and alloy production. It effectively strengthens concrete and reduces permeability. Moreover, natural pozzolans like volcanic ash, calcined clay are great options to enhance concrete workability, durability, and strength. Metakaolin, a calcined clay, is also beneficial in improving concrete’s properties and durability, particularly reducing permeability and increasing chemical resistance. Similarly, natural zeolites, minerals with a porous structure, enhance concrete workability and durability. These various kinds of SCMs in addition to offering diverse benefits, allow the construction industry to utilise by-products and waste materials and reduce the need for high energy-intensive cement manufacturing, promoting sustainability.

Sustainability advantages
The demand for buildings is increasing rapidly and thus constructing green buildings is a solution to ensure this demand is met in an environmentally friendly manner. While green buildings definitely make it possible to create spaces which promote cleaner and healthier environments, the use of SCMs ensure their sustainability related advantages are multiplied, environmental impacts are reduced, resources are efficiently utilised, energy demand is lowered, and overall well-being is achieved.
For instance, use of SCMs in construction supports greenhouse gases reduction. The production of SCMs require less energy as compared to traditional cement and support in reducing carbon emission and use of fossil fuels to combat environmental challenges like depleting natural resources, climate change and air pollution.
The other advantage of using SCM is enhancing the durability of concrete. Mixing SCMs can make concrete long-lasting and efficient, promoting conservation of resources. By using durable concrete with SCMs during construction of green buildings, it becomes possible to reduce the need for frequent repairs, replacements, and extend the lifespan of buildings. For instance, materials such as fly ash and slag carry the potential to mitigate alkali-silica reactions which often lead to formation of cracks in buildings and impact concrete’s durability. By incorporating SCMs, it becomes possible to avoid the damaging effects and achieve stronger and structurally sound buildings with longer lifespans.
Most importantly, use of SCMs helps the construction industry to adopt responsible sourcing of materials, efficient utilisation of by-products and promote waste minimisation for sustainable development. Since most of these materials are by-products of various industries, integrating them
in construction not only supports efficient use of resources but further prevents them from ending up in landfills as waste, minimising their harmful environmental impact and potential health hazards to achieve healthier ecosystems for current and
coming generations.
In the current period where construction activities are growing constantly to satiate residential and commercial demands, green buildings developed using SCMs are a great way to promote sustainability. SCMs in green buildings are not only environmentally friendly but bring a host of advantages, which are essential to build a greener, healthier and better future for all.

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Concrete

CII Calls for Greater Alternative Fuel Use in Cement Industry

Published

19 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

2 days 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

7 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.