Concrete

Cement’s Next Fuel Shift

Published

2 months ago

May 15, 2026

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Jignesh Kindaria highlights how Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) is emerging as a critical lever for cost savings, decarbonisation and competitive advantage in the cement industry.

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.
According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.
Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The regulatory push is real
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.
Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian waste is a different engineering problem
Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.
The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a made-in-India answer
At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.
Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.
Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The investment case is now
The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.
The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.
The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.
The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About the author
Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

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Concrete

Nuvoco Inaugurates Limla Cement Plant in Surat

Acquisition boosts Western India cement capacity

Published

3 hours ago

July 15, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited inaugurated the Limla Cement Plant in Surat, Gujarat, marking a key milestone in its acquisition and revival of Vadraj Cement Limited.

The company completed the acquisition of Vadraj, which had been undergoing a corporate insolvency resolution process, by discharging a consideration of Rs 18 billion (bn) in June 2025. Vadraj’s asset base includes a clinker unit at Kutch and a grinding unit at Limla, along with high quality captive limestone reserves and a captive jetty at Kutch that enhance logistics efficiency.

Since taking over the assets, Nuvoco has undertaken revival, refurbishment and expansion across both sites, culminating in the opening of the Limla facility. The grinding unit at Limla achieved project completion ahead of schedule with the commissioning of two million tonnes per annum (mn t per annum) grinding capacity, further expanding the company’s scale and market reach.

Upon full operationalisation of the Vadraj assets, nearly 40 per cent of Nuvoco’s total cement capacity will be accounted for by plants in the North and West regions, supporting improved access to high growth markets. The plant is expected to support a phased volume ramp up in Gujarat and to serve adjoining markets in western Maharashtra while releasing northern capacities for other markets.

It will produce a complete portfolio of cement products including Ordinary Portland Cement, Portland Slag Cement, Portland Pozzolana Cement and Portland Composite Cement, and will offer the Duraguard range including the premium Duraguard Microfibre. The transaction is set to create synergies with Nuvoco’s existing manufacturing facilities at Nimbol and Chittorgarh, strengthening logistics optimisation and market access across key regions.

Nuvoco reported total income of Rs 113.62 billion (bn) in FY 2025-26 and stated it is on track to consolidate total cement capacity to 35 million tonnes per annum (mn t per annum) by FY2028. The company operates across cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials segments and highlighted a pan-India ready-mix presence alongside contributions to major infrastructure projects. Corporate communications contact details were provided by the company.

Concrete

Nuvoco commissions Surat grinding unit

Nuvoco posts 20 per cent rise in Q1 PAT

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas Corp. has announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, reporting growth in volumes, earnings and profitability while advancing its expansion plans in western India.

The company inaugurated a 2-million-tonnes-per-annum (MTPA) grinding unit at its Limla Cement Plant in Surat on July 11, 2026, ahead of schedule. The facility, part of the Vadraj Cement assets, is expected to strengthen Nuvoco’s presence in western India while freeing up capacity at its Rajasthan plants to cater to demand in northern markets.

Progress at the Kutch project remains on track, with phased commissioning scheduled to begin in the third quarter of FY27. The company has also commenced work on a bulk cement terminal at Viramgam, Sachana, Gujarat, featuring a dedicated railway siding. The terminal is expected to become operational by the second quarter of FY28 and will support distribution across Gujarat. These projects form part of Nuvoco’s capacity expansion programme, which is expected to increase its total cement capacity to 35 MTPA by FY28.

During Q1 FY27, the company recorded cement sales volumes of 5.3 million tonnes, up 5 per cent year-on-year. Consolidated total income rose 9 per cent to Rs 31.29 billion, while EBITDA increased 7 per cent to Rs 5.72 billion, marking the company’s highest-ever first-quarter EBITDA. Profit after tax grew 20 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1.60 billion.

Commenting on the results, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp., said the company delivered improved business performance despite macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges. He attributed the results to disciplined execution, cost optimisation and operational efficiencies, while highlighting the early commissioning of the Surat grinding unit as a key milestone in the company’s expansion strategy.

He added that the company remains focused on prudent procurement, supply chain efficiency and cost discipline while monitoring geopolitical developments that could affect industry supply chains and input costs.

Concrete

Cement Sector Faces Sluggish Growth in First Half of FY27

April Price Hikes Unlikely To Offset Margin Decline

Published

2 days ago

July 13, 2026

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Nuvama Institutional Equities has warned that India’s cement industry is expected to record subdued volume growth in the first half of fiscal year 2026-27 before a recovery in the second half. The brokerage assessed that price increases implemented in April 2026 will be insufficient to offset an overall decline in sector profitability. It attributed the outlook to weak demand and fresh capacity additions scheduled during fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28 that are likely to keep prices under pressure.

The report noted that demand was sluggish in April and May 2026 owing to global uncertainty, labour shortages, heatwaves, constraints in raw materials and unseasonal rainfall. Producers raised prices across regions in April to mitigate rising petcoke costs and higher packaging expenses, but the increases proved short lived. Nuvama reported that standard petcoke prices rose to USD153/t, around USD41/t higher than in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025-26.

Price correction followed weaker demand, limiting the net increase to about Rs 10-12 per bag by the end of the quarter. Imported petcoke prices have since fallen to USD132/t from a recent peak of USD168/t, although they remained roughly USD20/t higher quarter on quarter. The brokerage expected the higher input cost impact to begin reflecting from late quarter one of FY27 and to continue into early quarter two.

Nuvama also estimated that crude linked increases were likely to raise packaging costs by about Rs 120-150/t and to exert upward pressure on freight. It warned that soft demand combined with significant new supply coming on stream in FY27-28 would keep pricing under strain and constrain near term margin recovery. The report concluded that volume growth was likely to be sluggish in the first half of FY27 before recovering in the second half.