Ambuja Cement and ACC, part of the LafargeHolcim Group, will invest ₹780 crore in setting up six waste heat recovery systems (WHRS) of 76 MW at eight klin lines across six cement plants in 16 to 18 months.

The WHRS will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of 5.61 lakh tonnes annually.

Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India, LafargeHolcim and Managing Director, Ambuja Cement said both the companies have an unwavering focus on sustainability for decades and the Sustainable Development vision is built around strategic drivers that will shape growth and evolution.

The WHRS will be installed at Ambuja Cement plants in Bhatapara (Chhattisgarh), Suli and Rauri (Himachal Pradesh) and Marwar Mundwa (Rajasthan) besides ACC plants in Jamul (Chhattisgarh) and Kymore (Madhya Pradesh).

Both companies had set up their first WHRS at Rabriyawas (Ambuja Cement) and Gagal (ACC) in 2013-14. The WHRS not only trap the enormous heat generated during the manufacturing process to gainfully create electricity but also reduces the use of fossil fuels.

In addition to boosting efficiency, WHRS is a proven method for reducing CO2 emissions and part of helping reach LafargeHolcim’s ambition to reduce emissions due to electricity use by 65per cent by 2030.

Sridhar Balakrishnan, Managing Director, ACC said the setting up of WHRS reiterates strong focus towards clean energy and strengthens the resolve to reduce energy consumption per unit of cement produced.

Together, they have an operational solar portfolio of 45.2 MWp, generating about 68.5 mio units per year and a wind operating assets of 26.5 MW, generating 45 Mio units/year.

Both companies have comparatively low specific carbon-di-oxide emissions in the world with about 530 kg and 512 kg carbon-di-oxide per tonne of cement material. Both companies plan to bring down this level to below 425 kg per tonne of cement material produced by 2030.

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