Concrete

Waste co-processing and RDF adoption are key pillars

Published

12 months ago

July 23, 2025

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Harjot Singh Chatha, Director, Alfa Therm talks about empowering India’s cement sector with scalable, compliant and efficient AFR solutions.

As India accelerates its shift toward sustainable cement production, Alfa Therm is playing a pivotal role in enabling this transformation through innovative RDF and AFR solutions.
In this interview, Harjot Singh Chatha, Director, Alfa Therm, outlines how it is driving circular economy practices, improving regulatory compliance, and future-proofing operations for the green transition.

How is Alfa Therm enabling cement companies to adopt AFR and RDF solutions?
Alfa Therm has been at the forefront of helping Indian cement companies transition from conventional fossil fuels to Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials (AFR) through robust Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) processing and handling solutions. Our engineered RDF plants are designed to deliver consistent fuel quality, customised to kiln specifications, ensuring seamless integration into existing fuel lines.
Additionally, our shredders and pre-processing systems help cement plants optimise calorific value, reduce feed variability and manage a wide range of waste streams, thereby accelerating the shift towards a more sustainable fuel mix.
How does Alfa Therm’s engineering approach ensure efficiency, safety and environmental compliance?
Our engineering philosophy centres on designing robust, modular systems built for India’s demanding industrial environments. We prioritise process efficiency through automated control systems, in-built safety interlocks and dust/fume extraction mechanisms that ensure safe operation and regulatory compliance. Our machines are built with high-grade, corrosion-resistant materials to ensure durability and minimal downtime. Regular customer training and remote monitoring further bolster safety and performance outcomes.

What role do you see waste co-processing and RDF adoption playing in India’s journey towards achieving a circular economy?
Waste co-processing and RDF adoption are key pillars in building India’s circular economy. By diverting non-recyclable waste streams from landfills to cement kilns, the industry not only substitutes fossil fuels for resource conservation. Cement kilns offer an ideal environment for complete thermal destruction of waste residues with zero secondary waste. As regulations tighten around landfill disposal and the cost of waste management rises, RDF-based co-processing will become a cornerstone of India’s waste-to-energy transition.

How is Alfa Therm positioned to support this transformation at scale?
With over 35 years of experience and a nationwide presence, Alfa Therm is uniquely positioned to support the cement industry at scale. We have the capacity to design and deliver turnkey RDF lines, shredding systems, and fuel feeding solutions customised to plant requirements. Our in-house R&D and fabrication units ensure rapid delivery and serviceability. By partnering closely with cement producers, we tailor our offerings for each project’s technical, regulatory and commercial context, helping clients meet
rising demand for alternative fuels while reducing operational risks.

How is Alfa Therm helping cement manufacturers improve their sustainability performance and meet evolving compliance norms?
As ESG reporting and emissions compliance tighten, Alfa Therm provides end-to-end solutions that help cement manufacturers track, measure and reduce their environmental impact. Our equipment is designed with emissions control in mind, including advanced dust extraction and filtration systems.
We also support clients with data-driven process optimisation and reporting tools that ease compliance documentation. Our team actively monitors regulatory shifts and shares knowledge with clients to future-proof their operations against emerging norms.

How do you see the AFR market evolving in India over the next decade?
The AFR market in India is poised for significant growth as regulations around waste disposal and emissions tighten and as cement players aim to meet ambitious TSR targets. We expect greater integration of digital tools for fuel tracking and optimisation, increased investment in localised RDF pre-processing infrastructure and broader acceptance of diverse waste streams including industrial and hazardous waste. Over the next decade, we anticipate TSR in India to grow from single digits to levels comparable with European benchmarks, driven by policy push and growing climate-consciousness across the industry.

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Concrete

Lokesh Lays Stone For Rs 31 Billion Cement Unit In Kadapa

Line-2 expansion to make Kadapa a major cement hub

Published

15 hours ago

July 20, 2026

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Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Line-2 expansion of Dalmia Bharat Cement at Chinnakomerla village in Mylavaram Mandal in Kadapa district. The project carries an investment of Rs 31 billion (bn) and is slated for completion by the third quarter of the financial year 2028. The expansion is intended to boost industrial growth and employment generation across the Rayalaseema region.

Once commissioned, the Kadapa facility will become Dalmia Bharat’s largest integrated cement manufacturing ecosystem in southern India, creating over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs and opening new business avenues for regional micro, small and medium enterprises and transport operators. Lokesh said the expansion signalled growing corporate confidence in the state and reflected the practical ease of doing business that secured repeat investment.

He placed the project within the government’s wider economic targets and recalled the Yuvagalam padayatra commitment to generate two million (mn) jobs within five years, noting that the state would cultivate talent while industry created opportunities. Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s competitive pursuit of major manufacturing accounts, mentioning past successes and a personal initiative to engage global investors when persuading them to anchor expansion in the state.

The plant will leverage Kadapa’s abundant limestone reserves to scale production and sustainability. Clinker capacity is planned to rise from two point five million tonnes per annum (mn tpa) to six point one mn tpa, while overall cement output will increase from three point six mn tpa to nine point six mn tpa. The unit is designed to operate on over eighty per cent renewable energy and deploy waste heat recovery, zero liquid discharge, water recycling and advanced AI systems to optimise efficiency. Industries Minister TG Bharat, BC Welfare Minister S. Savitha and Jammalamadugu MLA C. Adinarayana Reddy attended the ceremony.

Concrete

Cement Prices to Stay Flat in Q2 FY27 as Costs Squeeze Margins

HDFC Securities warns monsoon slowdown and higher fuel costs

Published

4 days ago

July 17, 2026

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HDFC Securities has said the cement industry is unlikely to register a sequential increase in prices in Q2 FY27 as monsoon-related demand moderation coincides with rising fuel and packaging costs that will squeeze margins. The brokerage observed that price gains remained modest, with increases of two to three per cent quarter-on-quarter across regions, and noted subdued offtake in May with improvement in June as a delayed monsoon supported construction activity. The brokerage added that modest pricing gains so far have been insufficient to offset the input cost escalation.

The report stated that input cost pressures intensified in Q1 FY27 owing to the West Asia conflict, which pushed up coal and pet coke prices and is expected to keep fuel costs elevated, with a likely peak in Q2 FY27. It assessed that total variable costs, including packing, could rise by around Rs 150 per t quarter-on-quarter and that lower offtake and seasonal operating deleverage could further raise operating expenditure by about Rs 50 per t quarter-on-quarter.

Overall, cement prices were estimated to remain flat in Q2 FY27 as monsoon-led demand weakness offsets limited upside in realisation, and rising fuel costs alongside seasonal deleverage were expected to compress industry margins by over Rs 100 per t quarter-on-quarter to below Rs 880 per t. The brokerage indicated that the combined impact of energy inflation and higher packing expenditure would be the principal drivers of margin contraction in the near term. HDFC Securities projected a recovery in margins in H2 FY27 should the West Asia turmoil subside and energy and packing costs cool off.

The brokerage expressed optimism on long-term demand fundamentals and said improving realisation together with an anticipated cost cool-off should support a margin rebound from H2 FY27 onward, underpinning favourable industry prospects over the medium term. Its outlook rests on monsoon normalisation and a decline in imported fuel prices in the second half of the fiscal year.

Concrete

Dalmia Bharat Begins Rs 31 Bn Green Cement Unit in Kadapa

New Andhra Pradesh plant to add 9.6 MTPA cement capacity by FY28

Published

5 days ago

July 16, 2026

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Dalmia Bharat Limited recently laid the foundation stone for its second manufacturing unit at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. The company will invest Rs 31 billion in developing the next-generation integrated cement manufacturing facility.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Real-Time Governance and Human Resources Development, along with Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dalmia Bharat, senior government officials and company representatives.

Scheduled to be commissioned by the third quarter of FY28, the Kadapa unit will become Dalmia Bharat’s largest integrated manufacturing facility in southern India. It will have a clinker production capacity of 6.1 million tonnes per annum and a cement manufacturing capacity of 9.6 million tonnes per annum.

The facility is designed to produce what the company describes as one of the world’s greenest cements. It is also expected to generate approximately 1,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities while supporting local MSMEs, transporters, contractors and service providers.

Lokesh said the investment reflected Dalmia Bharat’s confidence in Andhra Pradesh and aligned with the state’s objective of promoting sustainable industrialisation, job creation and technology-led economic growth.

Puneet Dalmia said the project represented the company’s long-term vision of developing low-carbon cement manufacturing assets. He added that the facility would establish new benchmarks in operational efficiency and sustainability while supporting India’s infrastructure and environmental goals.

Dalmia Bharat will also expand its regional community development programmes in education, healthcare, skill development and welfare through its DIKSHa and Gram Parivartan initiatives.

The company currently has an installed cement manufacturing capacity of 54.7 million tonnes across 19 manufacturing units in 12 states. It is also the first cement company globally to commit to the RE100, EP100 and EV100 initiatives.