Raunak Singh Chatha, Business Development Manager, Alfa Therm, in conversation with Kanika Mathur about transforming waste into energy with cutting-edge shredding solutions.

Advanced shredding technology is playing a pivotal role in sustainable waste management in the cement industry. Technology-led companies are providing innovative solutions for alternative fuel processing. One such organisation is Alfa Therm, a leading engineering company with over 35 years of expertise. Ronak Singh Chaddha, Business Development Manager, takes us through their tailored industrial solutions that are designed to meet the unique challenges of waste handling and emissions control, in this interesting interaction.

How is Alfa Therm contributing to sustainable waste management and recycling in the cement industry through its advanced shredding?
Alfa Therm is a 35-year-old engineering company based in Gurugram, Haryana. Through its advanced shredding technology, Alfa Therm serves as a one-stop solution for the fuelling requirements of the largest cement groups in the country, and we are currently fulfilling this role successfully. With our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, we ensure the highest quality standards and precision in our industrial solutions. Our manufacturing team comprises over 200 skilled professionals, supported by a highly advanced design team that helps us tailor our products to meet the unique needs of various industries.
Our product range includes incinerators for biomedical waste management, compost machines for organic waste processing, and shredders for producing alternative fuels. The most recent addition to Alfa Therm’s portfolio is pommels and material recycling facilities, which facilitate bio-remediation and land reclamation projects. These projects have been successfully executed across several sites in Delhi and the NCR region.
By combining engineering excellence with innovative technology, Alfa Therm continues to set high standards in sustainable waste management and recycling, making a positive impact on the cement industry and beyond.

With your state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, how does Alfa Therm ensure the highest quality standards and precision in its industrial solutions?
We have a manufacturing team of over 200 skilled professionals, supported by a highly advanced design team that helps us tailor our products to suit the specific needs of various industries.
Our offerings include incinerators for biomedical waste management, compost machines for organic feed processing, and shredders for producing alternative fuels. Currently, the most recent addition to AlfaTherm’s portfolio is pommels and material recycling facilities, which facilitate bio-remediation and land reclamation projects. AlfaTherm has successfully carried out these projects across multiple sites in Delhi and the
NCR region.

How does your expertise in processing materials like e-waste, rubber, and hazardous waste benefit the cement industry’s AFR strategies?
I would say that our greatest strength in processing materials like e-waste, rubber and hazardous waste lies in our extensive experience. The very first shredder we installed dates back to 1999, and it was assembled by my grandfather. Since then, AlfaTherm has had the privilege of working with a variety of industries across the country, including the tyre industry, the pharmaceutical sector, infrastructure, paper and pulp, and most recently, the cement industry over the last 6-7 years.
Over this period, AlfaTherm has gained valuable experience in processing diverse materials, which has helped us understand their potential. What may appear as regular waste material today could very well become a key resource to power an entire industry in the future. Our experience has allowed us to identify and harness this potential, giving us a significant edge in supporting the cement industry’s alternative fuel and raw material strategies.

What are the key innovations Alfa Therm has introduced in shredding and waste processing?
For cement manufacturers, innovation in shredding and waste processing is critical to enhancing efficiency and sustainability. However, as an engineering company, we believe that true innovation doesn’t emerge in isolation. It requires a thorough understanding of the market and the unique needs of the industry. We don’t just create solutions and hope they get adopted; we design solutions that industries are eager to embrace because they address real, pressing challenges.
Specifically for cement manufacturers, we focus on alternative fuels and raw materials (AFRs), particularly in the form of refuse-derived fuels (RDF). With India targeting its net-zero goal by 2070, cement plants—being some of the largest carbon emitters—must urgently adapt. This is where AlfaTherm plays a crucial role.
Our solutions empower cement manufacturers to enhance power generation and fuel efficiency. The largest cement groups in the country consume around 100-200 tonnes of fuel per day. Among our clients, some have managed to fulfill 15 per cent of their daily fueling needs through RDF. A few have achieved 20 per cent to 25 per cent, and we are proud to support some that have reached as high as 30 per cent of their daily fuel requirements through alternative fuels like RDF instead of conventional fossil fuels.
Our approach is to create machinery that not only addresses today’s requirements but also sets a foundation for the industry’s future. By developing advanced shredding and processing technology for RDF, we aim to make sustainable practices more accessible, efficient and impactful across the cement industry.

How does Alfa Therm customise its solutions to meet the specific challenges faced by cement plants?
When it comes to waste handling and emissions control, the biggest factors we consider are the capacities at which cement plants operate and the sources from which they procure their alternative fuels. These aspects play a crucial role in determining the customisation required for each cement plant.
For instance, if we consider RDF, it is essentially a grade of plastic. However, the quality and composition of RDF in the northern regions of India differ significantly from what is available in Tamil Nadu. As a result, the processing techniques required to handle these varying grades of RDF also differ.
At AlfaTherm, our manufacturing facility and dedicated design team ensure that our shredding solutions are tailored to the specific requirements of each cement plant, no matter where it is located in the country. Suppose a cement group has a daily requirement of 200 tonnes of RDF and sources its plastic waste locally in Tamil Nadu. In that case, our extensive research and experience over the past 6-7 years enable us to determine the precise level of treatment that this southern grade of RDF needs compared to a northern grade.
Additionally, we incorporate dust removal and ash handling systems to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, making the process as clean and sustainable as possible. Our goal at AlfaTherm is to continue being a one-stop solution for power plants across the country. Today, we serve the cement industry, but we hope to expand our expertise to more industries in the future.