DECARBONISING INDIA'S CEMENT INDUSTRY

Cement is vital to India's growth, but deep decarbonisation will demand new technologies, alternative fuels, and industry–government collaboration

- By Neeraj Akhoury

AS INDIA ACCELERATES ITS journey toward becoming a five trillion-dollar economy, infrastructure is emerging as the backbone of this growth story, with cement as the silent enabler. But as we build for the future, one question becomes crucial: how do we grow responsibly?

Cement production, while vital, carries a high environmental cost. It accounts for nearly seven per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, making it one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world. The challenge is real, but so is the sector's determination to change.

Low-carbon Innovation

Across India, cement manufacturers are stepping up with urgency and innovation. They are adopting low-carbon technologies, using cleaner fuels, reducing clinker content, and improving energy efficiency, often outpacing regulations.

Clinker production alone contributes around 60 per cent of the sector's emissions. To address this, the industry is turning to blended cements that incorporate materials like fly ash and slag. These alternatives not only reduce emissions but also enhance product performance.

Efforts are underway to tackle power-related emissions—roughly 10 per cent of the total—with waste heat recovery systems and a growing shift toward renewable energy. For the remaining 30 per cent of emissions linked to fuel consumption, the adoption of alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR), like biomass, industrial waste, used tyres, and municipal solid waste, is gaining momentum. However, scaling this solution will depend on building robust supply chains at viable costs.