Economy & Market

When Cement Meets Climate Action

Published

5 months ago

January 13, 2026

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Amit Banka, Founder and CEO, WeNaturalists, discusses the success of CCUS depends on collaboration, carbon literacy and shared digital ecosystems rather than isolated technologies.

India’s cement industry churns out roughly
340 million tonnes annually. It is the lifeline of our infrastructure, the backbone of our urban aspirations, and the reason our highways connect villages to cities. But here lies an uncomfortable truth: every tonne of cement produced emits nearly one tonne of CO2. The industry accounts for 5.8 per cent of India’s total carbon emissions—a figure that challenges even the most committed sustainability advocates.
We stand at a peculiar crossroads. India’s infrastructure ambitions roar forward with plans for highways, hospitals, schools, and homes to serve 1.4 billion people. Simultaneously, the climate emergency demands action at unprecedented scales. The cement industry cannot simply reduce production. Yet it must transform. This is where Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) enters—not as a distant fantasy, but as urgent infrastructure for change.

India’s CCUS moment has arrived
It is encouraging that India has moved beyond treating CCUS as laboratory theory. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched five carbon capture and utilisation testbeds specifically within the cement sector, representing the first such integrated cluster initiative in India. These are not token projects. They bring together premier research institutions—IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras—with cement leaders including JSW Cement, Dalmia Cement, and UltraTech, structured through an innovative Public-Private Partnership model.
Each testbed attacks a different dimension. One transforms CO2 into lightweight construction blocks. Another employs mineralisation techniques, literally converting pollution into solid minerals. A third uses vacuum swing adsorption technology to separate captured CO2 from cement kiln gases. Together, they represent India’s first real attempt at institutionalising CCUS for hard-to-abate sectors.
The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) India, collaborating with TERI, has released India’s decarbonisation roadmap targeting net-zero CO2 emissions by 2070. Alongside government support and industry commitment, there now exists a structured pathway. Yet a critical question lingers: what will determine whether this remains a blueprint or becomes lived reality?
The answer: platforms that connect, literacy that educates, and ecosystems that accelerate.

Breaking the silo trap: Why collaboration platforms matter
Consider the challenge that keeps cement plant managers awake: CCUS economics do not work in isolation. A cement plant capturing CO2 must find somewhere to store it. Transport costs become prohibitive if storage sites are distant. Utilisation opportunities for captured CO2—whether in enhanced oil recovery, chemicals production, or building materials—scatter across different industries and geographies. The traditional model—where each facility independently solves its own emissions problem—fails spectacularly when costs explode and timelines extend endlessly.
This is precisely where industrial hubs reshape the game.
Collaborative CCUS hubs concentrate captured carbon from multiple emitters, transport it through shared pipeline infrastructure, and coordinate utilisation and storage at scale. The Nordics have already validated this approach. Norway’s Northern Lights project receives CO2 from various industrial emitters, centralises management, and delivers offshore sequestration—reducing per-tonne costs substantially and making the business case credible.
In India, GCCA and DST explicitly emphasise hub identification and development potential, particularly recognising that certain regions possess optimal clustering opportunities. Yet hubs cannot materialise through goodwill alone. They require coordination across cement manufacturers, technology providers, logistics operators, carbon verification agencies, and government regulators—stakeholders with different incentives, geographies, and timelines. This is where collaborative digital platforms become essential infrastructure. When a cement manufacturer explores CCUS partnerships, when researchers seek industrial pilot sites, when policymakers track implementation progress across regions—these activities demand platforms that create real-time visibility and alignment.
Platforms like WeNaturalists recognise that climate action cannot thrive in information silos. The ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder collaborations, enable geographic discovery, manage complex projects transparently, and connect professionals horizontally creates conditions for faster partnership formation and deployment. Here is the essential insight: cement’s CCUS future depends less on any single breakthrough technology than on structures that connect the innovators, implementers, financiers, and regulators who will collectively bring CCUS to scale. Collaborative platforms are that connective infrastructure.

Carbon literacy crisis: Why knowledge is hard infrastructure
Spend time in any cement plant, and an interesting pattern emerges. Senior managers articulate climate commitments at macro levels. Plant engineers master their equipment intimately. Yet the connective tissue—the shared language about embodied carbon, capture methodologies, utilisation economics, and storage verification—often feels startlingly thin.
This is not knowledge scarcity. It is literacy scarcity. Carbon literacy means more than understanding that CO2 harms the climate. It means cement professionals grasping why their specific plant’s emissions profile matters, how different CCUS technologies trade off between energy consumption and capture rates, where utilisation opportunities align with their operational reality, and what governance frameworks ensure verified, permanent carbon sequestration.
Cement manufacturing contributes approximately 8 per cent of global carbon emissions. Addressing this requires professionals who understand CCUS deeply enough to make capital decisions, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and convince boards to invest substantial capital.
Current training pathways exist. The Decarbonising Cement Manufacture Course provides comprehensive six-week programmes covering capture technologies and energy efficiency. Specialist trainers offer bespoke carbon programmes for construction professionals. Yet in India’s cement sector, systematic carbon literacy infrastructure remains patchy. This creates a bottleneck: adoption lags not because the technology is unproven, but because insufficient professionals understand it well enough to champion deployment.
Consider the DST testbeds through a different lens: they are not merely technology incubators. They are the training grounds for India’s first generation of CCUS practitioners. These researchers, engineers, and technicians will migrate across the sector, carrying deep understanding of capture chemistry, operational protocols, verification procedures, and economic models. They become multipliers—transforming isolated expertise into distributed, sector-wide capability.
The cement industry must embed carbon literacy systematically. This means formal training programmes, industry forums for peer learning, and platforms connecting practitioners horizontally so they absorb lessons from others’ implementation journeys. When professionals understand not just their speciality but the broader CCUS ecosystem, they accelerate adoption across the entire value chain.
This is precisely why WeNaturalists’ emphasis on upskilling and awareness programs aligns so powerfully with cement’s decarbonisation challenge. Platforms that connect professionals, facilitate knowledge sharing, and highlight career pathways in climate solutions create the enabling environment for literacy to flourish.

Digital rcosystems as acceleration infrastructure
Visualise this scenario: An IIT team develops a catalyst improving CO2 capture efficiency by 15 per cent. A cement manufacturer in Maharashtra plans a CCUS retrofit. A logistics company specialises in cryogenic transport. A carbon verification agency operates across multiple projects. A development bank seeks green cement opportunities. A cement associations’ innovation team seeks to track
emerging solutions.
Without coordinated digital infrastructure, this innovation journey takes years—if it occurs at all. Findings get published in journals. The cement company never learns about them. The logistics operator never discovers the opportunity. The capital provider never assembles the deal. With digital ecosystems, this timeline collapses. Innovation visibility becomes immediate. Partnerships form faster. Capital confidence increases. Implementation accelerates.
Digital ecosystems serve critical functions in CCUS scaling. They make R&D outputs visible to industry practitioners in real-time, not confined to academic journals or conference abstracts. When one cement plant solves an operational challenge with CCUS, others learn instantly rather than independently rediscovering the solution. They create transparency around carbon accounting and verification, building credibility in carbon credits and storage durability. They coordinate fragmented supply chains—capture, transport, utilisation, and storage—from isolated silos into functioning value chains.
The DST testbeds represent networked innovation clusters. Their impact multiplies exponentially if findings flow through digital platforms. When IIT Bombay’s catalyst-based system produces operational data, that intelligence should reach cement manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and policymakers in real-time, not wait for annual reports.
WeNaturalists infrastructure for project management, community building, network transparency, and cross-geographic data analysis exemplifies this approach. The platform enables research-to-deployment acceleration by making opportunities visible, connecting capabilities with challenges, and providing data infrastructure for monitoring progress.
There is an additional dimension often overlooked. Digital platforms democratise opportunity access. A researcher in a Tier-2 city discovers CCUS projects globally. A cement worker interested in green skills finds training opportunities. A small-scale equipment supplier gains visibility to larger ecosystem players. This is not charity; it is economic efficiency—leveraging India’s entire talent pool for decarbonisation
rather than concentrating opportunities among established incumbents.

The inflection point
India’s cement industry occupies a remarkable moment. CCUS technology pathways are mapped. Government support flows through DST testbeds and NITI Aayog coordination. Industry commitment is visible in the GCCA roadmap. What determines whether these align into scaled deployment? Three interlocking elements.
First: Collaborative platforms that align stakeholder incentives and reduce transaction costs for partnership formation.
Second: Carbon literacy programmes that upskill the workforce beyond their specialised roles toward integrated understanding of the entire decarbonisation ecosystem.
Third: Digital ecosystems that accelerate research-to-deployment cycles, create transparency, and democratise opportunity access.
None suffice independently. Technology without collaboration becomes orphaned innovation. Collaboration without literacy moves glacially.
Both without digital infrastructure remain invisible and fragmented.
India’s cement industry has always embodied stories of scale—scaled production, scaled infrastructure, scaled built environments. The next chapter must be scale coupled with wisdom: the wisdom to connect what requires connecting, educate what requires educating, and accelerate what requires accelerating.
Platforms like WeNaturalists understand this intuitively. They do not seek to replace traditional industry structures or government roles. Instead, they provide connective tissue allowing research, regulation, investment, implementation, and continuous learning to move in concert.
India’s decarbonisation pathway for cement depends less on any single innovation than on our collective ability to connect, learn, and accelerate together. The technology is ready. The moment is now. What remains is building—and building better—the platforms and people networks that transform ambition into action.

About the author:
Amit Banka, Founder and CEO, WeNaturalists, is a business builder and ecosystem creator focused on driving nature-positive growth by combining media, digital platforms, sustainability, and strategic investments.

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Dalmia Bharat Acquires Jaiprakash Associates Cement Assets for ₹2,850 Crore

Published

1 week ago

May 25, 2026

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Dalmia Cement executed a Business Transfer Agreement with Jaiprakash Associates and Adani Infra, to acquire 5.2 MnTPA of cement capacity across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) announced on May 22, 2026 that it had signed a Business Transfer Agreement with Jaiprakash Associates Limited and Adani Infra (India) Limited for the acquisition of cement plants located at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and Churk, Chunar and Sadwa in Uttar Pradesh. The deal was struck at an enterprise value of ₹2,850 crore and is expected to close within two weeks of execution.

The acquired assets from Jaiprakash Associates include 5.2 MnTPA of cement capacity and 3.3 MnTPA of clinker capacity. The package also covers 99 MW of thermal power capacity and railway sidings at Rewa, Chunar, and a common siding at Churk. This infrastructure gives the acquisition immediate operational utility beyond just production tonnage.

The transaction has a long backstory. Dalmia Cement had originally entered into a framework agreement with Jaiprakash Associates in December 2022, covering the sale of these business assets along with a long-term clinker supply arrangement. However, before the deal could be completed, Jaiprakash Associates was admitted to insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The earlier agreements could not be consummated as a result.

In an official statement, Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director & CEO, Dalmia Bharat, said, “I am very excited about addition of these assets in our portfolio. This serves as a great strategic fit for Dalmia. It helps us move forward in our journey to be a pan India player and provide a strong head start to serve the high potential markets in Central region. I am optimistic that the expansion potential of these assets along with close proximity with Dalmia’s captive mines will help us create a capacity hub for the future”.

Following the approval of Adani Group’s resolution plan for Jaiprakash Associates under the IBC framework, Dalmia approached the new management to revive discussions. The fresh Business Transfer Agreement was executed to settle all pending disputes, legal proceedings, and arbitration matters arising from the original framework agreement with Jaiprakash Associates.

Expanding market reach

Dalmia added, “Our familiarity with these assets under the earlier tolling arrangement gives us a deep understanding of the facilities and helps us establish strong connect with channel partners and vendors. We believe that this will help us in faster ramp up of capacities and quicker inroads into the market. As we look forward, I am very confident that we will be able to leverage the strengths of Dalmia to operate these assets in a manner where we can maximise value creation for all our stakeholders.”

With the addition of these plants, Dalmia Bharat’s total installed cement capacity will rise to 54.7 MnTPA upon consummation. The company has further expansion projects underway at Belgaum, Pune, and Kadapa, which are expected to take overall capacity to 66.7 MnTPA by Q2 to Q3 FY28.

The Central India location of the Jaiprakash Associates plants gives Dalmia Bharat faster access to markets in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh than a greenfield build would have allowed. The company also cited debottlenecking and brownfield expansion as near-term opportunities at the acquired sites. Dalmia Bharat said the assets were expected to contribute positively to EBITDA and overall returns, given the pricing environment in the region and the company’s cost structure.

Concrete

PROMECON introduces infrared-based tertiary air measurement system for cement kilns

Published

2 weeks ago

May 20, 2026

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The new solution promisescontinuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations.

PROMECON GmbH has launched the McON IR Compact, an infrared-based measuring system designed to deliver continuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations. The system addresses the longstanding process control challenge of accurate tertiary air monitoring under extreme kiln conditions. It uses patented infrared time-of-flight measurement technology that operates without calibration or maintenance intervention.

Precise tertiary air measurement is a critical requirement for stable rotary kiln operation. The McON IR Compact is engineered to function reliably at temperatures up to 1,200°C and in the presence of abrasive clinker dust. Its vector-based digital measurement architecture ensures that readings remain unaffected by swirl, dust deposits or drift. Due to these conditions conventional measurement systems in pyroprocess environments are often compromised.

The system is fully non-intrusive and requires no K-factors, recalibration or periodic readjustment, enabling years of uninterrupted operation. This design directly supports plant availability and reduces the maintenance overhead typically associated with process instrumentation in high-temperature zones.

PROMECON has deployed the McON IR Compact at multiple cement facilities, including Warta Cement in Poland. Plant operators report that the system has aided in identifying blockages, optimising purging cycles for gas burners, and supplying accurate flow data for AI-based process optimisation programmes. The practical outcomes include more stable kiln operation, improved process control, and earlier detection of process disturbances.

On the energy side, real-time tertiary air data enables reduction in induced draft fan load and helps flatten process oscillations across the pyroprocess. This translates to lower fuel and energy consumption, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and a measurable reduction in NOx peaks. This directly reflects on the downstream cost implications for plants operating SCR or SNCR systems for emissions compliance.

Concrete

Filtration Technology is Critical for Efficient Logistics

Published

3 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

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Niranjan Kirloskar, MD, Fleetguard Filters, makes the case that filtration technology, which has been long treated as a routine consumable, is in fact a strategic performance enabler across every stage of cement production and logistics.

India’s cement industry forms the core for infrastructure growth of the country. With an expected compound annual growth rate of six to eight per cent, India has secured its position as the second-largest cement producer globally. This growth is a result of the increasing demand across, resulting in capacity expansion. Consequently, cement manufacturers are now also focusing on running the factories as efficiently as possible to stay competitive and profitable.
While a large portion of focus still remains on production technologies and capacity utilisation, the hidden factor in profitability is the efficiency of cement logistics. The logistics alone account for nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the total cost of cement, making efficiency in this segment a key lever for profitability and reliability.
In the midst of this complex and high-intensity ecosystem, filtration often remains one of the most underappreciated yet essential enablers of performance.

A demanding operational landscape
Cement production and logistics inherently operate in some of the harshest industrial environments. With processes such as quarrying, crushing, grinding, clinker production, and bulk material handling expose the machinery to constant high temperatures, heavy loads, and dust, often the silent destructive force for engines.
The ecosystem is abrasive, and often one with a high contamination index. These challenging conditions demand equipment such as the excavators, crushers, compressors, and transport vehicles to perform and perform efficiently. The continuous exposure to contamination across every aspect like air, fuel, lubrication, and even hydraulic systems causes long-term damage. Studies have also shown that 70 to 80 per cent of hydraulic system failures are directly linked to contamination, while primary cause of engine wear is inadequate air filtration.
For engines as heavy as these, even a minor contaminant has a cascading effect; reducing efficiency, performance and culminating to unplanned downtime. Particles as small as 5 to 10 microns, far smaller than a human hair (~70 microns), can cause significant damage to critical engine components. In an industry where margins are closely linked to operational efficiency, such disruptions can significantly affect both cost structures and delivery timelines.

Dust management: A persistent challenge
Dust is a natural by-product in cement operations. From drilling and blasting in the quarries to packing in plants, this fine particulate matter does occupy a large space in operations. Dust concentration levels in quarry and crushing zones often create extremely high particulate exposure for equipment. These fine particles, when enter the engines and critical systems, accelerates the wear and tear of the component, affecting directly the operational efficiency. Over time every block fall; engine performance declines, fuel consumption rises, and maintenance cycles shorten. In this case, effective air filtration is the natural first line of defence. Advanced filtration systems are designed to capture high volumes of particulate matter while maintaining consistent airflow, ensuring that engines and equipment operate under optimal conditions.
In high-dust applications, as in cement production, even the filtration systems are expected to sustain performance over extended periods without the need of frequent replacement. This becomes crucial in remote quarry locations where access to frequent maintenance may be limited.

Fluid cleanliness and system integrity
Beyond air filtration, fluid systems also play a crucial role for equipment reliability in cement operations. Fuel systems are required to remain free from contaminants for efficient working of combustion and injection protection. Additionally, lubrication systems also need to maintain the oil purity to reduce friction and prevent any premature wear of moving parts. The hydraulic systems, which are key to several heavy equipment operations, are especially sensitive to contamination.
If fine particles or water enters these systems, it can lead to reduced efficiency, erratic performance, and eventual failure of the system. Modern filtration systems are designed with high-efficiency media capable of removing extremely fine contaminants, with advanced fuel and oil filtration solutions filtering particles as small as two to five microns. Multi-stage filtration systems further ensure that fluid performance is maintained even under challenging operating conditions.
Another critical aspect of fuel systems is water separation. Removing moisture helps prevent corrosion, improves combustion efficiency and enhances overall engine reliability. Modern water separation technologies can achieve over 95 per cent efficiency in removing water from fuel systems.

Ensuring reliability across the value chain
Filtration plays a critical role across every stage of cement logistics:
• Quarry operations: Equipment operates in highly abrasive environments, requiring strong protection against dust ingress and hydraulic contamination.
• Processing units: Crushers, kilns, and grinding mills depend on clean lubrication and cooling systems to sustain continuous operations.
• Material handling systems: Pneumatic and mechanical systems rely on clean air and fluid systems for efficiency and reliability.
• Transportation networks: Bulk carriers and trucks must maintain engine health and fuel efficiency to ensure timely deliveries.
Across these operations, filtration plays a vital role; as it supports consistent equipment performance while reducing the risk of unexpected failures.
Effective filtration solutions can reduce unscheduled equipment failures by 30 to 50 per cent across heavy-duty operations.

Uptime as a strategic imperative
In cement manufacturing, uptime is currency. Downtime not only delays the production, but it also greatly impacts the supply commitments and logistics planning. With the right filtration systems, contaminants are kept at bay from entering the
critical systems, and they also significantly extend the service intervals.
Optimised filtration can extend service intervals by 20 to 40 per cent, reducing maintenance frequency while maintaining consistent performance across demanding operating conditions. Filtration systems designed for heavy-duty applications sustain efficiency throughout their lifecycle, ensuring reliable protection with minimal interruptions. This leads to improved equipment availability, lower maintenance costs, and more predictable operations, with well-maintained systems capable of achieving uptime levels of over 90 to 95 per cent in challenging cement environments.

Supporting emission and sustainability goals
With the rising environmental awareness, the cement industry too is aligning with the stricter norms and sustainability targets. In this scenario, the operational efficiency is directly linked to emission control.

Air and fuel systems that are clean enable
much more efficient combustion. They also reduce emissions from both the stationary equipment and transport fleets. Similarly, with a well-maintained fluid cleanliness, emission systems function better. Poor combustion due to contamination can increase emissions by 5 to 10 per cent, making clean systems critical for compliance.
Additionally, efficient and longer lasting filtration systems significantly reduce any waste generation and contribute to increased sustainable maintenance practices. Extended-life filtration solutions can reduce filter disposal and maintenance waste by 15 to 20 per cent. Smart and efficient filtration in this case plays an important role in meeting the both regulatory and environmental objectives within the industry.

Advancements in filtration technology
Over the years, there has been a significant evolution in the filtration technology to meet the modern industrial applications.
Key developments include:
• High-efficiency filtration media capable of capturing very fine particles without restricting flow
• Compact and integrated designs that combine multiple filtration functions
• Extended service life solutions that reduce replacement frequency and maintenance downtime
• Application-specific engineering tailored to different stages of cement operations
Modern multi-layer filtration media can improve dust-holding capacity by up to two to three times compared to conventional systems, while maintaining consistent performance. These advancements have transformed filtration from a basic maintenance component into a critical performance system.

Adapting to diverse operating conditions
The cement industry of India operates across diverse geographies. Spanning across regions with arid regions with higher dust levels, to the coastal areas with higher humidity, challenges of each region pose different threats to the engines. Modern filtration systems are thus tailored to address these unique challenges of each region.
Indian operating environments often range from 0°C to over 50°C, with some of the highest dust loads globally in mining zones.
Additionally, filtration technology can also be customised to variations which then align the system design with factors like dust load, temperature, and equipment usage patterns. Equipment utilisation levels in India are typically higher than global averages, making robust filtration even more critical. This approach ensures optimal performance and durability across different operational contexts.

Impact on total cost of ownership
Filtration has a direct and measurable impact on the total cost of ownership of equipment.
Effective filtration leads to:
• Lower wear and tear on critical components
• Reduced maintenance and repair costs
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Extended equipment life
• Higher operational uptime
Effective filtration can extend engine life by 20 to 30 per cent and reduce overall maintenance costs by 15 to 25 per cent over the equipment lifecycle. These benefits collectively enhance productivity and reduce lifecycle costs. Conversely, inadequate filtration can result in frequent breakdowns, increased maintenance expenditure, and reduced asset utilisation.

Building a more efficient cement ecosystem
With the rising demand across various sectors, the cement industry is expected to expand at an unprecedented rate. This growth is forcing the production to move towards a more efficient and resilient system of operations. This requires attention not only to production technologies but also to the supporting systems that enable consistent performance. Filtration must be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a routine consumable. By ensuring the cleanliness of air and fluids across systems, it supports reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

The road ahead
The future of cement logistics will be shaped by increasing mechanisation, digital monitoring, and stricter environmental standards. The industry is also witnessing a shift towards predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, where filtration performance is increasingly integrated with real-time equipment diagnostics.
In this evolving landscape, the role of filtration will become even more critical. As equipment becomes more advanced and operating conditions more demanding, the need for precise contamination control will continue to grow. From quarry to construction site, filtration technology underpins the performance of every critical system. It enables equipment to operate efficiently, reduces operational risks, and supports the industry’s broader goals of growth and sustainability. In many ways, it is the unseen force that keeps the cement ecosystem moving, quietly ensuring that every link in the value chain performs as expected.

About the author
Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters, is focused on driving innovation, operational excellence, and long-term business growth through strategic and people-centric leadership. With a strong foundation in ethics and forward-thinking decision-making, he champions a culture of collaboration, accountability, and technological advancement.