Ambuja Cements eyes large-scale carbon capture with UK tech partnership
New Delhi, June 22
Adani Group's cement arm Ambuja Cements has partnered with UK based clean technology company Leilac Limited to develop a commercial-scale pathway for low-carbon cement production at Sanghipuram, Gujarat's Kutch district, as per a statement by the company.
According to the release, the company is increasing the utilization of renewable energy, as part of its efforts to decarbonise cement manufacturing, supported by nearly 1 GW of captive green power capacity.
Ambuja Cements noted, "this collaboration is expected to improve the economics of carbon capture, strengthening the business case for large-scale deployment of carbon capture and utilisation."
The pilot project will be implemented at Ambuja Cements' 6.6 MTPA Sanghi plant in Kutch, Gujarat, where Leilac's carbon capture and electric heating technology will be tested, as per the report.
"The technology is designed to enable a pathway where coal consumption can be reduced to zero, while allowing alternate fuels to be used flexibly," the report added.
If successful, the project could be expanded seven to eight times, enabling the capture of more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. The company said the facility would be the world's largest industrial-scale project of its kind and could provide a scalable model for low-carbon cement production in India and other markets. "Subject to successful demonstration, the project, positioned as the largest industrial-scale plant of its kind globally, could be scaled up by 7x to 8x to capture more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, helping establish a scalable pathway for low-carbon cement production in India and beyond," the report said.
Karan Adani, Director, Ambuja Cements, said "The cement industry's transition to a lower-carbon future will require bold thinking, technological innovation and collaboration across the value chain. Our partnership with Leilac reflects our commitment to evaluating next-generation technologies that can reduce process emissions while improving energy efficiency and supporting long-term sustainable growth. This initiative aligns with our vision of building world-class manufacturing operations for the future."
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative but I wish they'd also focus on reducing cement usage altogether through alternative materials like fly ash or geopolymer cement. Carbon capture is important but it's expensive and energy-intensive. We need a multi-pronged approach.
This is exactly the kind of innovation India needs to lead in climate tech! If successful, capturing 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually is huge. But I'm curious about the cost - will this make cement more expensive for common man? Hope the government provides some incentives.
Impressive scale! As someone working in construction, I know how hard it is to decarbonize cement. The fact that they're looking to reduce coal consumption to zero while using alternative fuels is a game-changer. Let's see if the tech delivers on its promises.
🤔 While this sounds good on paper, carbon capture tech is still unproven at this scale globally. Plus, who will pay for the captured CO2? Just storing it underground costs money. I hope Ambuja has a solid plan for utilization, not just capture.
Kutch mein yeh project karna bahut acha hai - wahan ki hawa aur dhoop dono hi zyada hai. Renewable energy + carbon capture = real sustainable growth. Adani Group should also look at planting mangroves in Kutch to offset remaining emissions naturally.
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