Economy & Market

Achieving net zero is a collective responsibility

Published

1 year ago

December 24, 2024

Roshna

Mayank Kamdar, Marketing Director, Lilanand Magnesite, talks about innovative solutions to address refractory-related challenges and enhance operational efficiency.

Tell us about Lilanand Magnesite.
We are a manufacturer of castable and gunning refractories, based in Porbandar, Gujarat. Our company has been in the business for nearly 25 years, specialising in the manufacturing and supply of high-performance castable refractories, which are primarily used in critical areas of cement plants. Over the years, we have also expanded our customer base to include industries such as steel, cement, and thermal power stations, where we address their refractory-related challenges.

Could you elaborate on some of the bottleneck issues that cement plants typically face and how your products help address these challenges?
Bottleneck issues often arise in specific equipment or areas that experience frequent failures. To address this, we study these areas closely to identify the root causes of the failures. Based on our findings, we develop solutions that either improve the refractory material itself or optimise the application methods in those critical areas. Our goal is to enhance the life and durability of the refractory materials used, thus helping to prevent unplanned shutdowns and minimise operational disruptions.

How does your company maintain consistently high quality or improve quality over time?
We maintain high quality through a rigorous procurement process. Every raw material we use is thoroughly tested before it is incorporated into our production. We work with a select group of reputable suppliers who have consistently provided quality materials over the years, ensuring that the final product meets our strict standards. Additionally, we focus on continuous improvement, constantly evaluating and refining our processes to ensure the highest quality in every batch.

With regard to innovation, are there any new developments or technologies that your company is working on to improve your products?
At Lilanand Magnesites, we are always striving to improve our products through continuous research and development. Currently, one of the key areas of focus is adapting our products to the increasing use of alternative fuels and municipal waste in cement kilns. Over the years, we have developed specialised products designed to withstand the challenging environments created by the burning of alternative fuels. For example, we offer anti-coating castables that are highly durable and suited for use in areas such as the kiln inlet, where AFR and municipal waste are burned.

How does your company contribute to sustainability and environmental conservation?
Our approach to sustainability is focused on manufacturing high-performance products that last longer than conventional refractories. By providing our customers with products that have a longer lifespan, we significantly reduce the need for frequent replacements. This ultimately lowers the refractory consumption per ton of cement produced, making our solution more sustainable. Additionally, by offering durable products, we reduce the overall environmental footprint associated with the manufacturing and disposal of refractories.

What challenges do you face in your industry, and how do you address them?
One of the biggest challenges in the refractory industry is the reliance on natural mineral resources. As these resources are finite, their quality can vary, which poses a challenge in ensuring consistent product quality. To address this, we explore new sources for raw materials and also develop synthetic products that offer consistent quality. Thus, we ensure that our products meet the high standards of our customers, even as natural resources become scarcer.

What is your view on the concept of net zero, and how is your company contributing to achieving this goal?
Achieving net zero is a collective responsibility that involves all stakeholders, from the bottom-most supplier to the top-most consumer. It is not something that can be achieved by any one individual or organisation alone. In our own factory, we have taken significant steps towards sustainability, such as installing solar energy systems that power the entire facility, eliminating our reliance on grid electricity. We also believe that using more durable products, rather than cheaper, less sustainable options, can contribute to reducing the environmental footprint. Every step in the supply chain, from production to consumption, must be geared towards minimising carbon emissions and waste, which will help us collectively achieve the net zero target.

– Kanika Mathur

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Economy & Market

TSR Will Define Which Cement Companies Win India’s Net-Zero Race

Published

7 days ago

April 27, 2026

admin

Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax Technology

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.

According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.

Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The Regulatory Push Is Real

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.

Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian Waste Is a Different Engineering Problem

Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.

The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a Made-in-India Answer

At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.

Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.

Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The Investment Case Is Now

The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.

The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.

The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.

The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About The Author

Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

3 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

admin

The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

3 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

admin

TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.