Concrete

We see a future without waste

Published

2 years ago

March 19, 2024

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Sunil Kumbhar, CEO and Director, AltSF Process, talks about how automation, technology and a commitment to sustainability is driving them to reshape the future of cement production.

Tell us about the range of materials that your equipment can handle and process.
AltSF Process has designed various equipment for application of co-processing of the solid alternative fuels. All the equipment is designed to accept all possible materials, so that the cement factory gets the flexible system. With a flexible system they are always ready to receive any material having some calorific value for energy substitution. In general, we accept grain size up to 500mm, surface moisture content up to 45 per cent and density between 0.1 and 1.2 t/m3.

How does your process convert bulk material fit for consumption as an alternative fuel?
Ideally, suppliers of the alternative fuel or bulk materials should provide a processed waste to the cement industry. But if quality is poor, shredder and screening machines are necessary to pre-process the waste to convert them to RDF. Based on the type of available bulk material, we can select the appropriate equipment shredder, screening, separation and sorting for preparation of the RDF.

Tell us about your products and their role in the cement manufacturing process?
AltSF Process products are used mainly for co-processing of the alternative solid fuels. For cement factories using fuels in their process, it requires uniform flow of the fuel, safe feeding in the calciner or kiln. All our equipment is designed to handle this uniform flow needed. Alternative fuels tend to jam at every location, so critical design thinking is necessary for optimised layout designing, which the AltSF team is delivering to users.

What is the role of automation and technology in your products and services?
Handling alternative fuels, specifically these days, unprocessed municipal solid waste coming to cement plants is of very hazardous nature. Bad odour, unhygienic waste has a hazard to deploy people to work in handling these materials. Hence, cement plants require fully automated arrangements monitored from their control room for all operations. AltSF delivers fully automated arrangements for all handling stages like storage management, extraction of waste, accurate weighing, conveying and safe feeding inside the kiln.

How does the use of your products and services impact the productivity and efficiency of cement making?
For cement factories the priority is to make cement and this is achieved through a precise control of temperature and process times inside a pyro-process section. We help by providing a solution that works for them without hampering the cement making process. Our unique solutions with uniform flow and safe feeding at high temperature of calciner allows cement factories to use alternative fuels in big volumes. One of our installations is able to feed 60 tph of RDF, after necessary cement manufacturing process updates.

What are the major challenges that you face as a provider to the cement industry?
Working conditions in alternative fuels are not favourable for a person to work in, resulting in less manpower with correct skills available in this sector. AltSF Process management is very much service oriented and wishes their customers to use alternative fuels in its best possible way. But we need to spend a lot of time training new people at this stage. We are sure, with positive work on training from ASAPP, CII and NCCBM this skill levels will go up soon. We are sure, industry just started because of the high volume of fuels and within a few years,
our industry will have more skilled manpower for this sector.

How do you envision the future of use of alternative fuels in the cement industry?
We are sure, in the near future, the quantity of alternative fuels in the cement industry will grow. Cement industry co-processing provides the right platform for waste recycling, as there is no residue after use, everything becomes part of cement itself. Since we are the second largest cement manufacturer, we also have the capability to consume our waste in the right way, without hampering the environment. We see a future without waste and a cement industry with more than 80 per cent alternative fuels.

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Concrete

NBCC Wins Rs 550m IOB Office Project In Raipur

PMC Contract Covers Design, Execution And Handover

Published

4 days ago

January 20, 2026

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State-owned construction major NBCC India Ltd has secured a new domestic work order worth around Rs 550.2 million from Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in the normal course of business, according to a regulatory filing.

The project involves planning, designing, execution and handover of IOB’s new Regional Office building at Raipur. The contract has been awarded under NBCC’s project management consultancy (PMC) operations and excludes GST.

NBCC said the order further strengthens its construction and infrastructure portfolio. The company clarified that the contract is not a related party transaction and that neither its promoter nor promoter group has any interest in the awarding entity.

The development has been duly disclosed to the stock exchanges as part of NBCC’s standard compliance requirements.

Concrete

Nuvoco Q3 EBITDA Jumps As Cement Sales Hit Record

Premium products and cost control lift profitability

Published

5 days ago

January 19, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd reported a strong financial performance for the quarter ended 31 December 2025 (Q3 FY26), driven by record cement sales, higher premium product volumes and improved operational efficiencies.

The company achieved its highest-ever third-quarter consolidated cement sales volume of 5 million tonnes, registering growth of 7 per cent year-on-year. Consolidated revenue from operations rose 12 per cent to Rs 27.01 billion during the quarter. EBITDA increased sharply by 50 per cent YoY to Rs 3.86 billion, supported by improved pricing and cost management.

Premium products continued to be a key growth driver, sustaining a historic high contribution of 44 per cent for the second consecutive quarter. The strong momentum reflects rising brand traction for the Nuvoco Concreto and Nuvoco Duraguard ranges, which are increasingly recognised as trusted choices in building materials.

In the ready-mix concrete segment, Nuvoco witnessed healthy demand traction across its Concreto product portfolio. The company launched Concreto Tri Shield, a specialised offering delivering three-layer durability and a 50 per cent increase in structural lifespan. In the modern building materials category, the firm introduced Nuvoco Zero M Unnati App, a digital loyalty platform aimed at improving influencer engagement, transparency and channel growth.

Despite heavy rainfall affecting parts of the quarter, the company maintained improved performance supported by strong premiumisation and operational discipline. Capacity expansion projects in the East, along with ongoing execution at the Vadraj Cement facilities, remain on track. The operationalisation of the clinker unit and grinding capacity, planned in phases starting Q3 FY27, is expected to lift total cement capacity to around 35 million tonnes per annum, reinforcing Nuvoco’s position as India’s fifth-largest cement group.

Commenting on the results, Managing Director Mr Jayakumar Krishnaswamy said Q3 marked strong recovery and momentum despite economic challenges. He highlighted double-digit volume growth, premium-led expansion and a 50 per cent rise in EBITDA. The company also recorded its lowest blended fuel cost in 17 quarters at Rs 1.41 per Mcal. Refurbishment and project execution at the Vadraj Cement Plant are progressing steadily, which, along with strategic capacity additions and cost efficiencies, is expected to strengthen Nuvoco’s long-term competitive advantage.

Concrete

Cement Industry Backs Co-Processing to Tackle Global Waste

Industry bodies recently urged policy support for cement co-processing as waste solution

Published

1 week ago

January 15, 2026

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Leading industry bodies, including the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), European Composites Industry Association, International Solid Waste Association – Africa, Mission Possible Partnership and the Global Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council, have issued a joint statement highlighting the cement industry’s potential role in addressing the growing global challenge of non-recyclable and non-reusable waste. The organisations have called for stronger policy support to unlock the full potential of cement industry co-processing as a safe, effective and sustainable waste management solution.

Co-processing enables both energy recovery and material recycling by using suitable waste to replace fossil fuels in cement kilns, while simultaneously recycling residual ash into the cement itself. This integrated approach delivers a zero-waste solution, reduces landfill dependence and complements conventional recycling by addressing waste streams that cannot be recycled or are contaminated.

Already recognised across regions including Europe, India, Latin America and North America, co-processing operates under strict regulatory and technical frameworks to ensure high standards of safety, emissions control and transparency.

Commenting on the initiative, Thomas Guillot, Chief Executive of the GCCA, said co-processing offers a circular, community-friendly waste solution but requires effective regulatory frameworks and supportive public policy to scale further. He noted that while some cement kilns already substitute over 90 per cent of their fuel with waste, many regions still lack established practices.

The joint statement urges governments and institutions to formally recognise co-processing within waste policy frameworks, support waste collection and pre-treatment, streamline permitting, count recycled material towards national recycling targets, and provide fiscal incentives that reflect environmental benefits. It also calls for stronger public–private partnerships and international knowledge sharing.

With global waste generation estimated at over 11 billion tonnes annually and uncontrolled municipal waste projected to rise sharply by 2050, the signatories believe co-processing represents a practical and scalable response. With appropriate policy backing, it can help divert waste from landfills, reduce fossil fuel use in cement manufacturing and transform waste into a valuable societal resource.