Concrete

Waste co-processing and RDF adoption are key pillars

Published

9 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

UltraTech Cement FY26 PAT Crosses Rs 80 bn

Company reports record sales, profit and 200 MTPA capacity milestone

Published

16 hours ago

April 29, 2026

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UltraTech Cement reported record financial performance for Q4 and FY26, supported by strong volumes, higher profitability and improved cost efficiency. Consolidated net sales for Q4 FY26 rose 12 per cent year-on-year to Rs 254.67 billion, while PBIDT increased 20 per cent to Rs 56.88 billion. PAT, excluding exceptional items, grew 21 per cent to Rs 30.11 billion.

For FY26, consolidated net sales stood at Rs 873.84 billion, up 17 per cent from Rs 749.36 billion in FY25. PBIDT rose 32 per cent to Rs 175.98 billion, while PAT increased 36 per cent to Rs 83.05 billion, crossing the Rs 80 billion mark for the first time.

India grey cement volumes reached 42.41 million tonnes in Q4 FY26, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, with capacity utilisation at 89 per cent. Full-year India grey cement volumes stood at 145 million tonnes. Energy costs declined 3 per cent, aided by a higher green power mix of 43 per cent in Q4.

The company’s domestic grey cement capacity has crossed 200 MTPA, reaching 200.1 MTPA, while global capacity stands at 205.5 MTPA. UltraTech also recommended a special dividend of Rs 2.40 billion per share value basis equivalent to Rs 240.

Concrete

Towards Mega Batching

Optimised batching can drive overall efficiencies in large projects.

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2026

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India’s pace of infrastructure development is pushing the construction sector to work at a significantly higher scale than previously. Tight deadlines necessitate eliminating concreting delays, especially in large and mega projects, which, in turn, imply installing the right batching plant and ensuring batching is efficient. CW explores these steps as well as the gaps in India’s batching plant market.

Choose well

Large-scale infrastructure and building projects typically involve concrete consumption exceeding 30,000-50,000 cum per annum or demand continuous, high-volume pours within compressed timelines, according to Rahul R Wadhai, DGM – Quality, Tata Projects.

Considering the daily need for concrete, “large-scale concreting involves pouring more than 1,000–2,000 cum per day while mega projects involve more than 3,000 cum per day,” says Satish R Vachhani, Advanced Concrete & Construction Consultant…

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Concrete

Andhra Offers Discom Licences To Private Firms Outside Power Sector

Policy allows firms over 300 MW to seek distribution licences

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2026

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The Andhra Pradesh government will allow private firms that require more than 300 megawatt (MW) of power to apply for distribution licences, making the state the first to extend such licences beyond the power sector. The policy targets information technology, pharmaceuticals, steel and data centres and aims to reduce reliance on state utilities as demand rises for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Approved applicants will be able to procure electricity directly from generators through power purchase agreements, a change officials said will create more competitive tariffs and reduce supply risk. Licence holders will use the Andhra Pradesh Transmission Company (APTRANSCO) network on payment of charges and will not need a separate distribution network initially.

Licences will be granted under the Electricity Act, 2003 framework, with the Central and State electricity regulators retaining authority over terms and approvals. The recent Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sought to lower entry barriers, enable network sharing and encourage competition, while the state commission will set floor and ceiling tariffs where multiple discoms operate.

Industry players and original equipment manufacturers welcomed the policy, saying competitive supply is vital for large data centre investments. Major projects and partnerships such as those involving Adani and Google, Brookfield and Reliance, and Meta and Sify Technologies are expected to benefit as capacity expands in the state.

Analysts noted India’s data centre capacity is forecast to reach 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and cited International Energy Agency estimates that global data centre electricity consumption could approach 945 terawatt hours by the same year. A one GW data centre needs an equivalent power allocation and one point five times the water, which authorities equated to 150 billion litres (150 bn litres).

Advisers warned that distribution licences will require close regulation and monitoring to prevent misuse and to ensure tariffs and supply obligations are met. Officials said the policy aims to balance investor requirements with regulatory oversight and could serve as a model for other states.