Concrete

We are committed to improving the energy efficiency of our products

Published

2 years ago

July 17, 2023

admin

Krishnaraj Sreedharan, Head of Customer Service, Flender India, talks about latest innovations and modernisation of their product lines to help improve cement processes.

Tell us about the role of geared drives in cement plant machinery.
The manufacturing of cement involves an elaborate process, starting from the mining of necessary mineral resources to the processing of these minerals to obtain the final products with desired physical and chemical properties. In this process, rotary geared drive systems
play a crucial role in powering heavy-duty critical equipment that operates under harsh conditions and heavy loads. These systems are utilised for various applications such as crushing, grinding, melting, mixing and conveying.

Tell us about the portfolio of drive products that you offer to the cement industry.
Flender provides a wide range of mechanical power transmission products that are extensively used to drive various types of rotary equipment in the cement industry. Our product portfolio is primarily divided into gear units, couplings and drive systems. This comprehensive range includes standard catalog series products, application-specific standardised products and highly engineered products tailored to meet the specific requirements of individual projects.

As machinery in cement plants is advancing with time, how do you accommodate the change in drive components for the betterment of functionality in cement plants?
Over the years, as the cement manufacturing process and equipment have advanced, Flender has continuously invested in innovative product designs and the modernisation of existing product lines. We are committed to improving the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of our products and manufacturing processes, while adhering to the highest quality standards and global sustainability goals.

How can Flender products and services help cement manufacturers achieve better productivity and energy efficiency?
The outstanding feature of Flender products has always been their high operational reliability, which ensures maximum equipment availability and delivers optimal output. With over a century of experience serving the industry and leveraging our extensive application knowledge pool, we have optimised our drive solutions to minimise transmission losses. Our wide range of products and sizes allows us to closely match the technical requirements of various applications, eliminating the risk of drive underutilisation. Our customer service team excels in providing comprehensive support, including reengineering, multi-brand retrofit, and repair services. We recognise the significance of optimising output and extending the operational life of equipment for our valued customers.

Which machinery of the cement plant is the most challenging and how do you overcome the challenge?
One of the most crucial and demanding drive applications in cement manufacturing is the pre and post clinkerisation grinding process, which involves high energy consumption and heavy impact loads. When it comes to grinding mill applications like Vertical Roller Mills, Tube Mills or High-Pressure Grinding Roll Mills, Flender drive solutions guarantee optimal equipment availability. Our proactive preventive maintenance measures, along with offline and online condition monitoring systems (CMS), effectively prevent unscheduled equipment downtime and facilitate utilisation of residual life of the drive components. These systems also provide plant operators with real-time information about the operational condition of the drive, enabling them to plan maintenance activities well in advance.

How often do you service and audit your installations at the cement plant?
Flender drive solutions for critical applications are equipped with factory-fitted CMS or can be easily adapted to accommodate monitoring equipment available at the installation site. At our Chennai plant location, we have established a remote condition monitoring hub that is connected to a significant number of our mill drive installations. Our dedicated team of experts provides real-time monitoring support, collects and analyses drive condition data and offers valuable insights and consultation to site maintenance teams. By leveraging proactive information, we assist in maximising equipment uptime and utilisation. Through our standard and customised maintenance programmes, we offer our customers a wide range of service solutions tailored to their specific operational needs. This enables us to effectively assist our customers in maintaining the largest global installed base of our products in the cement industry.

Tell us about the upcoming innovations from Flender that would be beneficial for cement plants?
Flender’s latest innovation introduces a product line of standard gear units that showcases a completely new design, surpassing the limitations of conventional gear engineering and manufacturing. This breakthrough is accompanied by a state-of-the-art advanced monitoring system, which is far superior to other solutions currently available in the industry.

Up Next

We have designed and developed energy efficient products

Don't Miss

The cement industry has been emphasising on digitalisation

Concrete

Adani Cement to Deploy World’s First Commercial RDH System

Adani Cement and Coolbrook partner to pilot RDH tech for low-carbon cement.

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

admin

Adani Cement and Coolbrook have announced a landmark agreement to install the world’s first commercial RotoDynamic Heater (RDH) system at Adani’s Boyareddypalli Integrated Cement Plant in Andhra Pradesh. The initiative aims to sharply reduce carbon emissions associated with cement production.

This marks the first industrial-scale deployment of Coolbrook’s RDH technology, which will decarbonise the calcination phase — the most fossil fuel-intensive stage of cement manufacturing. The RDH system will generate clean, electrified heat to dry and improve the efficiency of alternative fuels, reducing dependence on conventional fossil sources.

According to Adani, the installation is expected to eliminate around 60,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, with the potential to scale up tenfold as the technology is expanded. The system will be powered entirely by renewable energy sourced from Adani Cement’s own portfolio, demonstrating the feasibility of producing industrial heat without emissions and strengthening India’s position as a hub for clean cement technologies.

The partnership also includes a roadmap to deploy RotoDynamic Technology across additional Adani Cement sites, with at least five more projects planned over the next two years. The first-generation RDH will provide hot gases at approximately 1000°C, enabling more efficient use of alternative fuels.

Adani Cement’s wider sustainability strategy targets raising the share of alternative fuels and resources to 30 per cent and increasing green power use to 60 per cent by FY28. The RDH deployment supports the company’s Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Concrete

Birla Corporation Q2 EBITDA Surges 71%, Net Profit at Rs 90 Crore

Stronger margins and premium cement sales boost quarterly performance.

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2025

admin

Birla Corporation Limited reported a consolidated EBITDA of Rs 3320 million for the September quarter of FY26, a 71 per cent increase over the same period last year, driven by improved profitability in both its Cement and Jute divisions. The company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 900 million, reversing a loss of Rs 250 million in the corresponding quarter last year.

Consolidated revenue stood at Rs 22330 million, marking a 13 per cent year-on-year growth as cement sales volumes rose 7 per cent to 4.2 million tonnes. Despite subdued cement demand, weak pricing, and rainfall disruptions, Birla Jute Mills staged a turnaround during the quarter.

Premium cement continued to drive performance, accounting for 60 per cent of total trade sales. The flagship brand Perfect Plus recorded 20 per cent growth, while Unique Plus rose 28 per cent year-on-year. Sales through the trade channel reached 79 per cent, up from 71 per cent a year earlier, while blended cement sales grew 14 per cent, forming 89 per cent of total cement sales. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan remained key growth markets with 7–11 per cent volume gains.

EBITDA per tonne improved 54 per cent to Rs 712, with operating margins expanding to 14.7 per cent from 9.8 per cent last year, supported by efficiency gains and cost reduction measures.

Sandip Ghose, Managing Director and CEO, said, “The Company was able to overcome headwinds from multiple directions to deliver a resilient performance, which boosts confidence in the robustness of our strategies.”

The company expects cement demand to strengthen in the December quarter, supported by government infrastructure spending and rural housing demand. Growth is anticipated mainly from northern and western India, while southern and eastern regions are expected to face continued supply pressures.

Concrete

Ambuja Cements Delivers Strong Q2 FY26 Performance Driven by R&D and Efficiency

Company raises FY28 capacity target to 155 MTPA with focus on cost optimisation and AI integration

Published

5 days ago

November 10, 2025

admin

Ambuja Cements, part of the diversified Adani Portfolio and the world’s ninth-largest building materials solutions company, has reported a robust performance for Q2 FY26. The company’s strong results were driven by market share gains, R&D-led premium cement products, and continued efficiency improvements.

Vinod Bahety, Whole-Time Director and CEO, Ambuja Cements, said, “This quarter has been noteworthy for the cement industry. Despite headwinds from prolonged monsoons, the sector stands to benefit from several favourable developments, including GST 2.0 reforms, the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), and the withdrawal of coal cess. Our capacity expansion is well timed to capitalise on this positive momentum.”

Ambuja has increased its FY28 capacity target by 15 MTPA — from 140 MTPA to 155 MTPA — through debottlenecking initiatives that will come at a lower capital expenditure of USD 48 per metric tonne. The company also plans to enhance utilisation of its existing 107 MTPA capacity by 3 per cent through logistics infrastructure improvements.

To strengthen its product mix, Ambuja will install 13 blenders across its plants over the next 12 months to optimise production and increase the share of premium cement, improving realisations. These operational enhancements have already contributed to a 5 per cent reduction in cost of sales year-on-year, resulting in an EBITDA of Rs 1,060 per metric tonne and a PMT EBITDA of approximately Rs 1,189.

Looking ahead, the company remains optimistic about achieving double-digit revenue growth and maintaining four-digit PMT EBITDA through FY26. Ambuja aims to reduce total cost to Rs 4,000 per metric tonne by the end of FY26 and further by 5 per cent annually to reach Rs 3,650 per metric tonne by FY28.

Bahety added, “Our Cement Intelligent Network Operations Centre (CiNOC) will bring a paradigm shift to our business operations. Artificial Intelligence will run deep within our enterprise, driving efficiency, productivity, and enhanced stakeholder engagement across the value chain.”