Economy & Market

Reliability and resilience are central to our approach

Published

12 months ago

May 13, 2025

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Radhika Choudary, Co-Founder and Director, Freyr Energy, discusses how solar energy and green cement are building blocks for a sustainable construction revolution.

As the construction industry accelerates toward decarbonisation, two powerful solutions—green cement and solar energy—are converging to reshape the sector’s future. Freyr Energy is at the forefront of this transition, working closely with cement manufacturers to cut emissions and boost sustainability. In this insightful interview, Radhika Choudary, Co-Founder and Director, shares how rooftop solar can drastically lower carbon footprints and improve operational resilience in heavy industry. From on-ground challenges to policy advocacy, they highlight the practical and scalable ways solar supports green construction. Read on to explore the critical role of solar power in driving low-carbon infrastructure.

How do you see the role of solar power and green cement in sustainable construction?
At Freyr Energy, we see the intersection of solar energy and green cement as a pivotal force in redefining sustainable construction. Green cement directly addresses embodied carbon emissions inherent to traditional building materials, while solar energy provides a clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuel-derived power. By integrating solar energy into the production and operational stages, we are not only reducing emissions but also reinforcing the overall lifecycle sustainability of construction projects. Through our real-world projects with major cement manufacturers, we have observed firsthand how solar adoption can accelerate environmental goals while enhancing operational resilience. This synergy between green building materials and renewable energy is essential for a truly low-carbon built environment.

Can rooftop solar solutions reduce the carbon footprint of cement plant?
Absolutely. Cement manufacturing is notably energy-intensive, with a large share of its emissions attributed to electricity consumption from conventional grids. Rooftop solar installations provide an immediate opportunity to offset a considerable portion of this demand, particularly during peak daylight hours. For example, at Shree Cement, our rooftop solar project has enabled the reduction of over 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in just six years. Beyond emissions reduction, these systems offer long-term financial savings and contribute to the cement sector’s broader Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments. As energy prices fluctuate globally, adopting solar also provides manufacturers with greater energy security and cost predictability.

How can solar-powered plants contribute to the lifecycle sustainability of green cement?
Solar-powered plants amplify the environmental benefits of green cement by ensuring that its production processes—from raw material handling to kiln operations—are powered by clean energy. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions across every stage of the cement’s lifecycle. In addition, leveraging solar energy aligns with emerging green building certifications and sustainability frameworks, making the final product more attractive to eco-conscious developers and construction companies. By adopting solar energy holistically, cement manufacturers not only meet regulatory standards but also position themselves as industry leaders in climate-resilient infrastructure.

What incentives or policies could accelerate solar adoption in the cement sector?
A robust policy framework is vital for scaling solar adoption in heavy industries. Incentives such as accelerated depreciation, tax rebates and performance-based subsidies can significantly improve project viability. Furthermore, green financing options with preferential terms can ease the capital burden often associated with renewable energy projects. On the regulatory front, introducing embodied carbon benchmarks for construction materials could drive demand for greener production methods, indirectly encouraging solar adoption. Streamlining grid connectivity for industries generating their own renewable energy is another crucial enabler. At Freyr Energy, we advocate for these measures to ensure a faster, more widespread transition towards sustainable industrial practices.

What are the major challenges in implementing solar infrastructure?
Deploying solar solutions in heavy industries like cement manufacturing is not without challenges. Dust, extreme temperatures and space limitations can affect the efficiency and longevity of solar systems. Cement plants, especially older facilities, often require significant retrofitting to accommodate rooftop solar arrays. Moreover, the energy demands of such plants are continuous and intensive, necessitating highly reliable and intelligently managed solar solutions. Addressing these challenges requires selecting robust technologies, customised designs, and predictive maintenance strategies. At Freyr Energy, we prioritise these factors to deliver solar systems that not only perform but endure under industrial conditions.

How do you ensure reliability and performance in heavy industries?
Reliability and resilience are central to our approach. We deploy high-efficiency, industrial-grade solar panels combined with heavy-duty mounting structures engineered for challenging environments. Our projects are further supported by smart energy management systems that seamlessly integrate solar generation with existing power infrastructure. Proactive maintenance, real-time remote monitoring and predictive analytics enable us to maximise uptime and energy yield. By customising solutions to each plant’s operational profile and environmental conditions, Freyr Energy ensures that our clients achieve tangible and sustained benefits from their solar investments.

How do you see the synergy between renewable energy and green cement evolving over the next decade?
The next decade will witness a deepening integration of renewable energy into the green cement value chain. As industries commit to achieving net-zero targets, solar power will become indispensable, not just for environmental compliance but for business competitiveness. We foresee green cement, powered by renewables, transitioning from an alternative choice to a mainstream standard. This shift will be driven by policy pressures, investor expectations, and growing market demand for sustainable construction. Freyr Energy is excited to play a central role in this transformation—helping cement manufacturers harness solar power to build greener cities, create climate-resilient communities and secure a sustainable future.

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Economy & Market

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

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2026

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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

2 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

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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

2 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

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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.