Concrete

Waste Heat Recovery System is a key area for cement producers

Published

3 years ago

June 12, 2023

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Guilherme Mendonca, Head Energy Business, Siemens, elaborates about co-creating innovative technology solutions for the cement industry.

What are the key features of your Waste Heat Recovery System that make it an eco-friendly solution for cement manufacturing?
Steam turbines are the heart of every power plant. In waste heat recovery (WHR), steam turbines act as an essential piece of the whole system. Our modular design concept ensures high flexibility, availability, and efficiency, playing a significant role in many industrial plants for waste heat recovery and cogeneration application. In India different technologies exist to convert thermal heat into power like Steam Rankine Cycle (SRC), Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cycle (sCO2). However, only SRC and ORC are fully commercialised with SRC being a more popular technology with decades of proven results. Through efficient use of our steam turbines our customers can extract high power output with the available waste heat, enabling them to reduce their carbon footprint. Siemens Energy WHR solutions are capable of meeting all these requirements which are specific to the Indian
cement industry.

How does your system help reduce carbon emissions during the cement production process?
Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) is a key area for cement producers to improve plant efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint by utilising the waste heat from the cement manufacturing process. Siemens Energy’ waste heat recovery system is highly efficient with Heat ReCycle Power Plants offsetting the emissions when compared to other technology that is typically used to generate equivalent power, like diesel generators and reciprocating engines or small coal fired power plants. This results in overall reduced emissions and reduction in dependability on fossil fuels.

What are the estimated energy savings that can be achieved by installing your system in a cement plant?
These plants are highly customised solutions and savings can vary depending upon various factors such as source of upstream power generation, plant configuration and degree of waste heat available. Given ideal conditions, waste heat recovery power plants can offset approximately 30 per cent of total electricity requirement of a typical cement plant in India. In 2012, the Rohrdorf cement works in Germany commissioned the first waste heat and gas power plant in Europe. The plant produced over 30 per cent of the site’s power while saving 12,000 tpa of fossil fuels and reducing CO2 emissions by 30,000tpa. We have come a long way since then in terms of technology adoption and benefits. In practical applications, plants that have implemented waste heat recovery systems have been proven to reduce carbon intensity by as much as 25kg/t of clinker produced.

How long does it take for the system to pay for itself through energy savings?
The pay-off is faster than conventional grid-connected power plants by up to 40 per cent in an ideal situation. This return-on-investment calculation considers 30 per cent electricity offset and variations in energy prices as well as carbon credits and cost of decarbonisation.

What is the expected lifespan of the system, and what maintenance is required to keep it functioning optimally?
Generally, the operating lifespan of steam-based WHRS is 20 years. Typically, it works for 8,000 operating hours per year. The availability and adoption of digital solutions such as remote diagnostic services that allow proactive, predictive maintenance and minimises forced outages.

Can your system be customised to meet the specific needs of different cement plants?
Yes. This is a fully customised solution taking into account all the cement plant constraints and available waste heat sources and quality of waste heat.

What are the major challenges of a WHRS when installed in a cement plant?
Some key challenges of installing WHRS are design limitations due to available technologies and constraints such as source of heat, space available and integration. With these being mostly brownfield projects, the integration with minimum downtime and minimum process disruption also add to the challenges. However, this can be planned and mitigated with efficient project management from Siemens Energy.

How do you envision your collaboration with the cement industry in the decade to come?
We envision a strong collaboration with the cement industry in the decade to come, which is primarily driven by a shared commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions with WHRS at the centre. We see WHRS as a key technology that can help cement manufacturers achieve their sustainability goals while also providing energy savings and cost reductions. Looking to the future, our collaboration with the cement industry will continue to be focused on co-creating innovative technology solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of individual cement plants in India.

–Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

UltraTech Cement Expands in Andhra Pradesh with Rs. 26.5 bn

Petnikota plant adds 3.6 MTPA cement dispatch capacity

Published

1 day ago

October 23, 2026

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UltraTech Cement has expanded its manufacturing footprint in Andhra Pradesh with the commissioning of Petnikota Cement Works, an integrated cement plant built with an investment of around Rs. 26.5 bn. The facility is located in Petnikota village in Kolimigundla mandal of Nandyal district, in the Rayalaseema region.

Construction of the plant began in May 2025. The facility has a clinkerisation capacity of 3.3 MTPA and a cement dispatch capacity of 3.6 MTPA, strengthening the company’s production and distribution presence in the State.

The plant is expected to provide direct employment to 650 people and indirect employment to another 2,000. It has been designed to operate entirely on green energy and does not have a captive thermal power plant. The project also uses no groundwater, according to information released by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, said in the release that the facility was taken from groundbreaking to commissioning in 14 months. He described the project as a state-of-the-art addition to the company’s operations in the State and said it would create 2,650 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Petnikota Cement Works adds to UltraTech Cement’s manufacturing capacity in Andhra Pradesh while supporting industrial activity in Nandyal district. The plant’s energy design and stated groundwater-use policy are also intended to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. The company has identified the facility as part of its continuing capacity expansion in the Indian cement market.

Concrete

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Cement sales rose 9% to 4.7 MMT, while EBITDA increased 11%.

Published

1 day ago

October 23, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.

The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.

On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid renewable energy project in Rajasthan. Once operational, the project is expected to generate about 100 million units of renewable electricity annually. The company expects it to reduce reliance on conventional power sources and improve long-term cost certainty across its Rajasthan operations.

Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd., said, “Q2 FY27 was a testament to resilient execution in a challenging operating environment. Despite intense and erratic rainfall in our key markets, global and regional logistics & supply chain disruptions, and elevated input costs stemming from ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, the Company delivered strong YoY growth in Revenue, EBITDA, and PAT. Our performance reflects the strength of our strategic levers of premiumisation and geographical mix optimisation, which helped realisations amid muted cement prices.”

He added, “During the quarter, the Company achieved a significant growth milestone with the successful commissioning of the 2 MMTPA Grinding Unit at Limla, Surat, underscoring our strong project execution capabilities. This achievement reinforces our confidence in delivering the remaining modules of the Vadraj Cement Project at Kutch and Sachana within the planned timelines. Looking ahead, while we remain mindful of evolving macroeconomic and geopolitical dynamics, we remain focused on operational excellence, accelerating premiumisation, optimising supply chain efficiencies, and executing our growth projects as planned.

Concrete

Meghalaya Cabinet Approves MCCL Closure, Writes Off Rs. 244.3 mn

Cabinet approves winding up of state-owned cement company

Published

5 days ago

October 19, 2026

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The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the closure and winding up of Meghalaya Cherra Cement (MCCL), a state-owned cement company, with pending liabilities of approximately Rs. 244.3 mn to be written off as part of the process. The decision was announced by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on October 13, 2026.

The approved write-off comprises about Rs. 89 mn in sales tax dues and Rs. 155.3 mn in royalty dues. The Cabinet’s decision addresses the liabilities that remained after the company’s operations and enables the government to proceed with its formal closure.

Sangma said employee dues owed by MCCL had been settled in line with the state government’s commitment. The settlement of employee-related liabilities is a key part of the winding-up process and removes outstanding obligations to the company’s workforce.

The Chief Minister explained that MCCL is owned by the government, meaning the pending liabilities would otherwise involve transfers between the state government and its departments. Writing off the dues is intended to simplify the accounting and administrative steps required to complete the closure.

The decision is also intended to ensure that the winding-up does not create an additional financial burden for the state government. With employee payments settled and the sales tax and royalty liabilities addressed through the approved write-off, the Cabinet’s approval marks a further step towards completing the formal closure of MCCL.

The action follows the state government’s decision to discontinue the company and resolve its outstanding obligations through an orderly winding-up process. The approved measures cover the principal liabilities identified for settlement and allow the government to advance the remaining formal procedures associated with closing the state-owned enterprise.