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Municipal Waste to Wealth

Published

4 years ago

January 14, 2022

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In view of the environmental hazards of dumping and the ever-increasing solid and semi-solid waste, especially in urban centres, we look at the role the cement sector plays in sustainable waste disposal.

In September 2019, I visited the site where the world’s biggest cement kiln was being built on the banks of the Yangtze river, just 40 km from Wuhan, China. For a cement plant to be built that close to a city it would have meant a great deal of network optimisation principles to be rejigged, but this was hardly the case for this unit. It was the municipal waste of Wuhan, which drove the rationale of location to its logical conclusion.
Wuhan had an excess 3000 tonnes of municipal waste per day that was to be consumed by this cement kiln, thus the rationale was driven more by the city’s concern for sustainability and environment than anything else. But it had economics in-built in the operating cost structure of making cement – the proximity to market on the one hand and the replacement cost of coal on the other got the better of many known disadvantages of using municipal wastes, the processing cost included.

Logistics rule
The backbone of the economics of using municipal waste as alternate fuel in this unit was driven by logistics cost, as the Yangtze river provided the perfect ground for moving the entire waste by barges after drying and then through pipeline from the jetty to the pre-calciner section. This was a fraction of the cost of moving coal and the difference of heat value was more than compensated.
One of the major drawbacks of municipal waste is the heat value when compared with coal or
pet coke. The energy density is low—approximately 10-13 MMBTU/ton—well below sub-bituminous coal at roughly 17-21 MMBTU/ton. The second
is the moisture content, which in most MSW (Municipal Waste) is above 50 per cent. The partial drying facilities in this case provided the additional fillip. The rest of the deterrents are more related to sulphur and chlorine, where there are technologies available for mitigation.
The real win-win is brought about by the proximity of the city to the unit that solves the problem of distributed availability of wastes that deters setting up of single location processing units of wastes and consumption, which also reduces the logistics cost. For this facility near Wuhan, the incineration of processed waste in a single kiln provided the best cost alternative to coal as both sides of the market- waste generation and disposal side balancing with the consumption side as alternate fuel economics was weighed, the true cost of externalities included. As the true cost of externalities get built-in the cost of coal or pet coke, this balancing act will only get simpler and easier to implement.

Working hand in hand
To replicate such an act in many other locations, similar partnerships need to be reviewed – between waste handlers, the municipalities and the incinerating agencies that generate power, including cement makers, who can directly use it as heat input for producing clinker. The partnerships will include co-processing centres in between, logistics service providers and the broader public who can hardly be ignored from the equation.
Think of the colossal waste that municipal waste creates, in terms of open dumps, which form 75 per cent of all waste disposal in India, and the bulk of this is adjacent to prime land in the cities. If only the city dwellers and municipalities come together to enact new laws that restrict such dumping, the situation can start to improve.
The enactment of new laws across the world over, starting with the landfill acts, paved the way for municipal waste recycling to move into a new gear. Poland and Germany have shown how these could transform the waste to wealth landscape. No wonder then that Germany and Poland do not use any coal or pet coke in their cement kilns today but only process municipal processed waste instead.
When the projected municipal waste is escalating at a frenetic pace (currently at 500 kg per capita), thanks to urbanisation, the focus must shift to reorganising how the waste could be stopped from simply becoming somebody else’s problem. While technical solutions in processing diverse wastes and solving pollution problems is at the top of the agenda, logistical issues cannot be lost sight of either.
It is in this logistics of waste where several constituencies must come together; if the externalities are accounted for and the principle of ‘polluter pays’ is enacted, the public must come forth as the most important constituent of this jigsaw puzzle. This is where the role of the government also steps up as a positive mediator.

Procyon Mukherjee

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NMDC Steel Posts Record Output And Efficiency Gains In November

NSL reports its strongest monthly performance across operations

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

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NMDC Steel Limited (NSL), India’s youngest integrated steel plant, closed November 2025 with record operational performance across its entire value chain, supported by stable processes, higher capacity utilisation and improved efficiencies.

The Raw Material Handling System reported its highest-ever daily wagon tippling of 616 on 21 November 2025, alongside a record monthly base mix output of 5,18,886 tonnes. The Sinter Plant delivered its best single-day production of 15,590 tonnes and a record 4,14,271 tonnes for the month, operating at more than 105 per cent of capacity.

The Blast Furnace achieved 11,315 tonnes of hot metal on 28 November—equivalent to 119 per cent of rated capacity—and produced 2,80,049 tonnes for the month, surpassing 101 per cent utilisation. NSL also recorded its lowest monthly average fuel rate of 519 kg per tonne and its highest pulverised coal injection (PCI) rate of 164 kg per tonne.

The Steel Melting Shop, Thin Slab Caster and Hot Strip Mill set new performance benchmarks, reporting monthly HR coil output of 2,03,356 tonnes, crude steel production of 2,09,445 tonnes and liquid steel output of 2,15,010 tonnes, with utilisation levels between 84 and 86 per cent. The plant also achieved its best-ever converter lining life of 4,799 heats and added two commercial grades—IS 2062 E450BR and IS 2062 E350C—to support construction and engineering applications.

Operational optimisation at the Oxygen Plant resulted in power cost savings of around Rs 19 million. The company also completed performance guarantee tests for the Blast Furnace and Turbo Blower packages and secured BIS certifications for IS 2041:2024 and IS 2062 E450BR.

CMD Amitava Mukherjee said the record performance reflects the team’s commitment and positions NSL to contribute strongly to India’s future steel growth.

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Krystal Wins Rs 90 Million Sanitation Contract from Jindal Steel

One-year mandate covers hygiene and upkeep across Jindal Nagar

Published

3 days ago

December 10, 2025

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Krystal Integrated Services Ltd, a leading provider of integrated facility management solutions, has secured a one-year sanitation services contract worth about Rs 90 million from Jindal Steel Limited. The agreement covers comprehensive cleaning and maintenance of plant sanitation facilities at Jindal Nagar in Odisha, aimed at enhancing hygiene and ensuring consistent upkeep across high-footfall areas.

The scope of work includes mechanised housekeeping such as sweeping and mopping, deep cleaning of walls and ceilings, maintenance of urinals, washbasins and shower zones, replenishment of consumables, drainage upkeep and overall cleanliness of toilet surroundings. Krystal will deploy trained personnel, specialised cleaning agents and sanitation equipment to ensure uniform service delivery.

Sanjay Dighe, CEO and Director of Krystal Integrated Services Ltd, said the mandate highlights the company’s commitment to supporting industrial hygiene and worker well-being. He noted that sanitation in large manufacturing environments requires discipline, reliability and process excellence.

The company will implement daily reporting, compliance monitoring and strict adherence to industrial safety standards, ensuring seamless coordination with plant administration. The contract strengthens Krystal’s growing presence in India’s industrial facility management space and underscores its capability to manage large operational mandates.

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Mumbai, Krystal Integrated Services Ltd has grown into one of India’s leading integrated facility management companies, serving sectors including healthcare, education, government, transport and retail. Its operations and client base have expanded significantly in recent years.

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Aichi Steel to Expand Punjab Ties With Rs 5 Billion Investment

Japanese major plans deeper collaboration with Vardhman Steels.

Published

3 days ago

December 10, 2025

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Japanese steel major Aichi Steel has agreed to expand its partnership with Vardhman Special Steels in Punjab through a proposed investment of Rs 5 billion, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Thursday. The development follows the signing of an MoU between the two companies during the CM’s visit to Aichi Steel on the third day of his Japan tour.

Calling it a “red-letter day” for Punjab, Mann said Aichi Steel Corporation — widely recognised as the steel arm of Toyota — has committed to strengthening its role in the state’s industrial growth. The company currently holds a 24.9 per cent stake in Vardhman Special Steels and serves as a key technology partner, signalling a deepening Indo-Japan industrial partnership in Punjab.

The Chief Minister said the Japanese firm will evaluate its future manufacturing operations in the state, including conducting a feasibility study for the proposed Rs 5-billion investment. Mann assured full government support to further the collaboration and emphasised Punjab’s commitment to helping existing Japanese investors scale their operations.

He added that advanced technical cooperation from Aichi Steel, combined with the Vardhman Group’s expertise, would usher in a new phase of industrial development in the state.

Mann also invited Aichi Steel’s leadership to attend the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2026, to be held from 13–15 March at the Indian School of Business, Mohali. He said the summit would showcase Punjab’s progress and offer fresh opportunities for collaboration, expressing optimism that Japanese participation would be strong.