Ambuja Cements and ACC said they will make investments worth over Rs 780 crore at their plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The companies would be investing in green power generation that will help reduce the carbon footprint. Both companies will jointly set up Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) based power plants at their six cement plants across India. All projects are slated to be completed in the next 16 to 18 months.
Neeraj Akhoury, CEO (India), LafargeHolcim and MD & CEO, Ambuja Cement, said, “Six cement plants at both Ambuja Cement and ACC will invest over Rs 780 crore in green power generation, which will lead to a significant reduction of 5.61 lakh tons of carbon footprint annually. This is a major step in our journey towards the reduction of carbon intensity.”
The development comes close on the heels of parent company LafargeHolcim signing the Net Zero Pledge with 2030 science-based targets during the Climate Week held in September 2020. Both companies set up their first WHRS in 2013-14 at Rabriyawas (Ambuja Cement) and Gagal (ACC) thus displaying their commitment towards green energy while marking an important step in energy conservation in the Indian cement industry. WHRS helps in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It traps the enormous heat generated during the cement manufacturing process to generate electricity as a sustainable solution.
“Our Sustainable Development vision is built around strategic drivers that have shaped our growth and evolution. By deciding to set up these six WHRS, we have moved one step closer to realising our sustainability goals reducing usage of fossil fuel and thus reducing our carbon footprint” Akhoury said.
In addition, Ambuja and ACC have adopted the use of solar power in their cement manufacturing process. Together, the two companies have an operational solar portfolio of 45.2 MW and wind operating assets of 26.5 MW.
