3rd International Conference on Alternate
Fuels and Raw Materials in Cement Industry

The “3rd International Conference on Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials in Cement Industry -Towards Realising Swachh Bharat Dream”, was inaugurated yesterday. Ms. Ravneet Kaur, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion lauded the efforts and initiatives of the Cement Industry in enhancing the AFR usage to increase the  Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) which is very low at 1% as against the average 60% world-over. She mentioned that with Indian Cement Industry currently producing 7% of the Global Cement requirement has a long way to go to improve the country’s per capita consumption at a dismal low as yet. She also expressed her appreciation for the recently published BIS Standards on Composite Cement. Ms Kaur assured the Cement Industry that Govt. will support this cause to frame conducive policies to facilitate such AFR usage in the Cement Industry.

Earlier in her Special Address, Ms. Meldgaard, Deputy Chief of Mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi, said most of the countries in Europe have substituted more than 40% of heat requirement from coal by utilizing waste – Norway > 70%.  What Norway does not have is scale. Therefore, some of the international knowhow can be employed and implemented in Indian Cement Industry for a scale up.  Norwegian Govt. has been funding SINTEF to work with Regulatory authorities, Cement Industry and other Stakeholders to enhance AFR utilization. I look forward to your support and guidance for successful implementation of the Phase-II project over next 4 years. 

Dr. S. Chouksey, President, CMA in his Keynote Address highlighted the various initiatives taken by the Indian Cement Industry in the effective utilization of the alternate fuels, fly ash, slag, etc. and also mentioned the challenges being confronted by the industry. 

Alternate fuels policy to boost AFR adoption in cement, backed by standards and international technical funding for scale-up. Promotion of Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials (AFR) usage in the cement sector is a policy priority to raise the Thermal Substitution Rate; the government committed to framing conducive policies, endorsed recent BIS Standards on Composite Cement, and industry plus international partners (including Norwegian-funded SINTEF collaboration) were presented as technical and funding mechanisms to scale AFR implementation and address operational challenges.