Concrete

“Safety and quality form the basis of AFR usage.”

Published

3 years ago

June 12, 2023

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Umashankar Choudhary, Plant Unit Head, Muddapur, JK Cement, sheds light on the various aspects of using alternative fuels and raw materials at a cement plant, from sourcing the right materials to maintaining safety parameters.

What types of alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) does your company use in cement production, and in what proportion?
Our company uses almost all kinds of plastic wastes, non-hazardous and hazardous waste and some amount of biomass. The process of using AFR in the kiln started full-fledged at JK Cement in April 2018 after commissioning of a dedicated AFR feeding system. We initially focused on using plastic waste, shredded RDF. Slowly and gradually we increased our capacity, manpower, machinery and then started using hazardous solid AFR. For the processing of hazardous waste, we needed impregnation material like biomass viz rice husk, saw dust, wood chips etc. So, we started utilising them in smaller proportions. And with the experience so far, now we are consuming around 20 per cent to 25 per cent of hazardous solid waste, 40 per cent 50 per cent MSW/RDF waste, and 20 per cent to 25 per cent non-hazardous
solid wastes.

What factors do you consider when selecting alternative fuels and raw materials for use in cement production?
We started our journey way back in 2015-16 with a starter kit system where the AFR was just begun to be used in our group. Generally we considered using biomass with less moisture like rice husk, saw dust, ground nut husk etc. These biomasses are easy to handle and feed. They need less infrastructure for feeding. But with the growing aspirations and increase in the fuel costs we established a full-fledged AFR feeding system. Hence, the volume and type of the AFR’s used varied from numbers of 3-4 to more than 20 different types of wastes (industrial, MSW/RDF/ MLP’s etc.).
There are many factors to consider before selecting the AFR for use in cement production. But the major ones are calorific value, moisture, ash, chloride and sulphur, additionally compatibility test a flash point analysis for the liquid waste streams from the quality point of view.

How do you ensure the quality and safety of alternative fuels and raw materials used in cement production?
Safety and quality form the basis of AFR usage across the cement plants. Same is the case in our plant, too. First and foremost, we use only the alternative fuels that are authorised by CPCB/SPCB, the basis for the authorisation are the coprocessing trials taken across different cement kilns in India. The purpose of the trials was to ensure that the waste co-processed safely in terms of safety, quality, environmental norms etc. Even for this waste we do have our process trials and we have got a full-fledged AFR lab at our plant, which confirms the detailed analysis of waste used. The analysis is done prior to taking the waste first time and also regular monitoring of the quality of the AFR is done on every consignment basis. Dedicated laboratory and skilled manpower are engaged for testing the quality of AFR fed, and received and the one that is stored.
The safety at AFR is the most important factor to be considered while handling AFR. There is a big risk of fire with the small amount of AFR that we handle. Hence, we have got a full-fledged automatic fire detection and suppression system for the AFR storage area, AFR feeding areas and the AFR shredding systems. There is round the clock monitoring of the storage yard through CCTV cameras. Special kinds of PPEs such as canister masks, goggles, nitrile hand gloves and full body suits are given to the workers engaged in AFR handling.

What is your company’s current policy regarding the use of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement production?
JK Cement is working towards a very ambitious journey in co-processing of AFR. We have invested in the AFR journey to a much greater extent compared to most of the cement companies in India. We are targeting for higher TSR up to 60 per cent in the years to come. We have already commissioned a chlorine bypass system (CBS) for enhancing the AFR utilisation capacity. Our CBS system is having two ducts for collecting the inlet gases. This is first-of-its-kind in the world. And we have already reached our mile stone of achieving more than 30 per cent TSR. Now we want to further optimise this and take this journey aggressively forward.

What steps have you taken to minimise the environmental impact of your cement production process, particularly in relation to the use of alternative fuels and raw materials?
When we are talking about co-processing of alternative fuels and raw materials, the first thing that comes to mind is that we are helping to minimise greenhouse gases and also to conserve natural resources with utilisation of all kinds of AFRs in the cement kiln. As I mentioned earlier, the wastes that are co-processed are in line with the permissions granted by the Government regulatory bodies (CPCB/SPCB).
Apart from this the plant has installed adequate infrastructure with huge capacity sheds with impervious floorings, leachate collection pits and necessary firefighting arrangements to minimise the impacts on the environment. Our systems are operated from CCR and there are least manual interventions at every location. There is continuous monitoring and systematic storage of all the wastes that are to be co-processed in the cement kiln. Further the utilisation of AFR has helped us in reducing the NOx emission to much greater levels. This ensures the emissions are always within the limits which are monitored from CEMS online.

Have you faced any challenges or barriers when using alternative fuels and raw materials in cement production, and if so, how have you overcome them?
Definitely, while utilising the alternative fuels and raw materials there are bound to be challenges. Since the material is of not uniform quality we need to have special infrastructure, systems to handle the challenges while dealing with AFR. The major challenges that we face while utilising AFR can be summaries in the following heads as below:

Build up and blockages, refractory issues: Some of the plants having high percentage TSR are facing coating issues on the refractory lining inside the kiln system due to RDF usage. The presence of high content of chlorine and alkalis in RDF, which combined with petcoke sulfur resulting in coating formation. Circulation of volatile salts increases and clogging arises in lower preheater cyclones and riser pipes.
Compatibility of waste with cement quality: Having high content of major oxides in the Waste actually helps sometimes in the cement quality to use them as Lime replacing alternative raw material or corrective alternative raw materials if it is rich in Iron and alumina. Sometimes the material is rich in more than one constituent of cement, in such cases it becomes difficult to design the raw mix and hence detailed study must be done and evaluated based on the raw mix design before utilisation.
Wear and tear of equipment used for waste processing: AFR has different foreign materials like silt, glass, metal pieces so it makes heavy wear and tear of pre-processing equipment like shredder, trommel, belt conveyor etc.
Availability of odour control system at storage sites: Presence of high moisture and organic contaminants result in the nuisance due to odour during handling of AFR material. Presently very few technologies are available to combat this issue of odor control. Few of them are: use of zeolite mesh at the storage sheds, use of odour control liquids that mask the odour molecules, use of odour reducing materials for spraying on stored heaps of waste to eat away organic contents by bacteria etc.

Do you collaborate with other companies or organisations to identify and implement best practices in the use of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement production?
We do collaborate with the esteemed organisations like CII and other reputed universities, consultants continuously to get in touch with the best practices followed across the world. And there is active participation of ours at various seminars and conferences to have the most learning to be implemented in our organisation.

How do you see the use of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement production evolving in the future, and what role do you think your company will play in this process?
Looking at the present scenario, AFR is the new fuel and fuel of this era. Just like pet coke seemed to be impossible to be used in the cement industry because of its drastic difference in the properties as compared to traditional coal. We can say that, AFR is the new pet coke. There were no pre-processing facilities specially in India. Now after the lead taken by some of the government bodies like at Indore viz Indore model, many startups have come up with the facilities only for pre-processing of the plastic waste. There is deep research and consultation with the cement industries with many catalyst bodies like CII, CMA bringing up the utilisation of plastics waste/ RDF into the cement industries, co-processing has become the most preferred choice to reduce the production cost and conserve the resources at the larger level.
JK Cement has been coprocessing the AFR at almost all the integrated cement plants. JK Cement is and will be the pioneer in adapting the new technologies available across the globe to increase the use of alternative fuels and raw materials. This has been demonstrated at all our plants and the path that we are treading is one that very few ambitious leaders like JK Cement choose.

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FORNNAX Appoints Dieter Jerschl as Sales Partner for Central Europe

Published

7 days ago

February 5, 2026

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FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY has appointed industry veteran Dieter Jerschl as its new sales partner in Germany to strengthen its presence across Central Europe. The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of FORNNAX’s high-capacity, sustainable recycling solutions while building long-term regional capabilities.

FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY, one of the leading advanced recycling equipment manufacturers, has announced the appointment of a new sales partner in Germany as part of its strategic expansion into Central Europe. The company has entered into a collaborative agreement with Mr. Dieter Jerschl, a seasoned industry professional with over 20 years of experience in the shredding and recycling sector, to represent and promote FORNNAX’s solutions across key European markets.

Mr. Jerschl brings extensive expertise from his work with renowned companies such as BHS, Eldan, Vecoplan, and others. Over the course of his career, he has successfully led the deployment of both single machines and complete turnkey installations for a wide range of applications, including tyre recycling, cable recycling, municipal solid waste, e-waste, and industrial waste processing.

Speaking about the partnership, Mr. Jerschl said,
“I’ve known FORNNAX for over a decade and have followed their growth closely. What attracted me to this collaboration is their state-of-the-art & high-capacity technology, it is powerful, sustainable, and economically viable. There is great potential to introduce FORNNAX’s innovative systems to more markets across Europe, and I am excited to be part of that journey.”

The partnership will primarily focus on Central Europe, including Germany, Austria, and neighbouring countries, with the flexibility to extend the geographical scope based on project requirements and mutual agreement. The collaboration is structured to evolve over time, with performance-driven expansion and ongoing strategic discussions with FORNNAX’s management. The immediate priority is to build a strong project pipeline and enhance FORNNAX’s brand presence across the region.

FORNNAX’s portfolio of high-performance shredding and pre-processing solutions is well aligned with Europe’s growing demand for sustainable and efficient waste treatment technologies. By partnering with Mr. Jerschl—who brings deep market insight and established industry relationships—FORNNAX aims to accelerate adoption of its solutions and participate in upcoming recycling projects across the region.

As part of the partnership, Mr. Jerschl will also deliver value-added services, including equipment installation, maintenance, and spare parts support through a dedicated technical team. This local service capability is expected to ensure faster project execution, minimise downtime, and enhance overall customer experience.

Commenting on the long-term vision, Mr. Jerschl added,
“We are committed to increasing market awareness and establishing new reference projects across the region. My goal is not only to generate business but to lay the foundation for long-term growth. Ideally, we aim to establish a dedicated FORNNAX legal entity or operational site in Germany over the next five to ten years.”

For FORNNAX, this partnership aligns closely with its global strategy of expanding into key markets through strong regional representation. The company believes that local partnerships are critical for navigating complex market dynamics and delivering solutions tailored to region-specific waste management challenges.

“We see tremendous potential in the Central European market,” said Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO of FORNNAX.
“Partnering with someone as experienced and well-established as Mr. Jerschl gives us a strong foothold and allows us to better serve our customers. This marks a major milestone in our efforts to promote reliable, efficient and future-ready recycling solutions globally,” he added.

This collaboration further strengthens FORNNAX’s commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and sustainable waste management, supporting the transition toward a greener and more circular future.

Concrete

Budget 2026–27 infra thrust and CCUS outlay to lift cement sector outlook

Published

1 week ago

February 2, 2026

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Higher capex, city-led growth and CCUS funding improve demand visibility and decarbonisation prospects for cement

Mumbai

Cement manufacturers have welcomed the Union Budget 2026–27’s strong infrastructure thrust, with public capital expenditure increased to Rs 12.2 trillion, saying it reinforces infrastructure as the central engine of economic growth and strengthens medium-term prospects for the cement sector. In a statement, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) has welcomed the Union budget 2026-27 for reinforcing the ambitions for the nation’s growth balancing the aspirations of the people through inclusivity inspired by the vision of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and Atmanirbharta.

The budget underscores India’s steady economic trajectory over the past 12 years, marked by fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation, and offers strong demand visibility for infrastructure linked sectors such as cement.

The Budget’s strong infrastructure push, with public capital expenditure rising from Rs 11.2 trillion in fiscal year 2025–26 to Rs 12.2 trillion in fiscal year 2026–27, recognises infrastructure as the primary anchor for economic growth creating positive prospects for the Indian cement industry and improving long term visibility for the cement sector. The emphasis on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with populations above 5 lakh and the creation of City Economic Regions (CERs) with an allocation of Rs 50 billion per CER over five years, should accelerate construction activity across housing, transport and urban services, supporting broad based cement consumption.

Logistics and connectivity measures announced in the budget are particularly significant for the cement industry. The announcement of new dedicated freight corridors, the operationalisation of 20 additional National Waterways over the next five years, the launch of the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to raise the modal share of waterways and coastal shipping from 6 per cent to 12 per cent by 2047, and the development of ship repair ecosystems should enhance multimodal freight efficiency, reduce logistics costs and improve the sector’s carbon footprint. The announcement of seven high speed rail corridors as growth corridors can be expected to further stimulate regional development and construction demand.

Commenting on the budget, Parth Jindal, President, Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA), said, “As India advances towards a Viksit Bharat, the three kartavya articulated in the Union Budget provide a clear context for the Nation’s growth and aspirations, combining economic momentum with capacity building and inclusive progress. The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) appreciates the Union Budget 2026-27 for the continued emphasis on manufacturing competitiveness, urban development and infrastructure modernisation, supported by over 350 reforms spanning GST simplification, labour codes, quality control rationalisation and coordinated deregulation with States. These reforms, alongside the Budget’s focus on Youth Power and domestic manufacturing capacity under Atmanirbharta, stand to strengthen the investment environment for capital intensive sectors such as Cement. The Union Budget 2026-27 reflects the Government’s focus on infrastructure led development emerging as a structural pillar of India’s growth strategy.”

He added, “The Rs 200 billion CCUS outlay for various sectors, including Cement, fundamentally alters the decarbonisation landscape for India’s emissions intensive industries. CCUS is a significant enabler for large scale decarbonisation of industries such as Cement and this intervention directly addresses the technology and cost requirements of the Cement sector in context. The Cement Industry, fully aligned with the Government of India’s Net Zero commitment by 2070, views this support as critical to enabling the adoption and scale up of CCUS technologies while continuing to meet the Country’s long term infrastructure needs.”

Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Vice President, CMA, said, “The government’s sustained infrastructure push supports employment, regional development and stronger local supply chains. Cement manufacturing clusters act as economic anchors across regions, generating livelihoods in construction, logistics and allied sectors. The budget’s focus on inclusive growth, execution and system level enablers creates a supportive environment for responsible and efficient expansion offering opportunities for economic growth and lending momentum to the cement sector. The increase in public capex to Rs 12.2 trillion, the focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and the creation of City Economic Regions stand to strengthen the growth of the cement sector. We welcome the budget’s emphasis on tourism, cultural and social infrastructure, which should broaden construction activity across regions. Investments in tourism facilities, heritage and Buddhist circuits, regional connectivity in Purvodaya and North Eastern States, and the strengthening of emergency and trauma care infrastructure in district hospitals reinforce the cement sector’s role in enabling inclusive growth.”

CMA also noted the Government’s continued commitment to fiscal discipline, with the fiscal deficit estimated at 4.3 per cent of GDP in FY27, reinforcing macroeconomic stability and investor confidence.

Concrete

Steel: Shielded or Strengthened?

CW explores the impact of pro-steel policies on construction and infrastructure and identifies gaps that need to be addressed.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 31, 2026

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Going forward, domestic steel mills are targeting capacity expansion
of nearly 40 per cent through till FY31, adding 80-85 mt, translating
into an investment pipeline of $ 45-50 billion. So, Jhunjhunwala points
out that continuing the safeguard duty will be vital to prevent a surge
in imports and protect domestic prices from external shocks. While in
FY26, the industry operating profit per tonne is expected to hold at
around $ 108, similar to last year, the industry’s earnings must
meaningfully improve from hereon to sustain large-scale investments.
Else, domestic mills could experience a significant spike in industry
leverage levels over the medium term, increasing their vulnerability to
external macroeconomic shocks.(~$ 60/tonne) over the past one month,
compressing the import parity discount to ~$ 23-25/tonne from previous
highs of ~$ 70-90/tonne, adds Jhunjhunwala. With this, he says, “the
industry can expect high resistance to further steel price increases.”

Domestic HRC prices have increased by ~Rs 5,000/tonne
“Aggressive
capacity additions (~15 mt commissioned in FY25, with 5 mt more by
FY26) have created a supply overhang, temporarily outpacing demand
growth of ~11-12 mt,” he says…

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