Displaying items by tag: Renewable energy

India: Dalmia Cement will set up a new cement plant in Madhya Pradesh with a capacity of 4Mt/yr, at a cost of US$475m. This plant will reportedly be the first in the country to operate entirely using renewable energy, according to Group Managing Director Punit Dalmia.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement has commissioned a 28.8MW captive wind power project at its Karachi plant, which started operations on 22 October 2024. This reportedly makes Lucky Cement the first company in Pakistan to launch a renewable energy project of this scale, according to The News International. Lucky Cement now generates 55% of its total power consumption from renewable sources.

India: UltraTech Cement will procure an additional 7MW of wind-solar hybrid power production capacity from Continuum MP Windfarm, increasing total procurement from 14MW to 21MW. This power is supplied from its 100MW project in Ratlam District in Madhya Pradesh. To facilitate this, UltraTech has raised its shareholding in Continuum MP Windfarm from 3.28% to 5.46% by investing approximately US$2.9m. The acquisition is expected to complete within 120 days following amendments to the power purchase Agreement, share purchase agreement, and shareholders agreement.

India: Ambuja Cements has entered the Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation (AFID), becoming the first cement manufacturer worldwide to join this global platform. AFID aims to accelerate the net zero transition in energy-intensive sectors, like cement, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Ambuja Cements has set a net zero target for 2050, with goals approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company plans to invest US$1.2bn in renewable energy projects totalling 1GW and 376MW from waste heat recovery systems to power 60% of its expanded capacity by the 2028 financial year. This strategy will reportedly lower its carbon footprint, and utilise more than 8.6Mt of discarded materials in the financial year 2024.

Non-executive director of Ambuja Cements, Mr Karan Adani, said "This marks another significant step for Ambuja in its sustainability journey. We are already amongst the lowest emission intensity cement producers globally and are undertaking a number of strategic initiatives to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions footprint. Being a member of the Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation will allow us to leverage the experiences of global cross-sector industry peers. And, in turn, share our approach to decarbonisation."

Lithuania: Ignitis has signed a 4-year power purchase agreement with Lithuanian cement producer Akmenės Cementas to supply electricity from the Mažeikiai wind farm, starting in 2026. The wind farm features 14 wind turbines with a capacity of 63MW and began operations in 2023.

CEO of Akmenės Cementas Artūras Zaremba said "We are excited about this partnership as it allows us to use green energy in the cement industry. This cooperation is an important step towards our commitment to achieve long-term sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint. By integrating renewable energy sources into our activities and planned projects that will contribute to the EU’s Green Deal objectives, we are strengthening our environmental efforts and creating sustainable and innovative solutions.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) will allocate US$6bn between 2025 and 2030 to improve the sustainability of its businesses. The investment focuses on SCG Chemicals and SCG Cleanergy, with the latter increasing its renewable power capacity to 3500MW by 2030 and constructing a new heat battery unit for energy storage at the SCG cement plant in Saraburi. The company is also looking to expand into Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

President and chief executive Thammasak Sethaudom said “We focus on these businesses as they promise sustainable growth, in line with our inclusive green growth mission.”

India: Oriana Power subsidiary TrueRE Surya has won a contract to build a 128MW solar power plant in Tamil Nadu for Dalmia Cement (Bharat), supporting its target to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and become carbon negative by 2040.

The project cost approximately US$62m and will be commissioned within the next 12 months, according to Energetica India Magazine. As part of the contract, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) will acquire 26% of TrueRE Surya for US$5.3m, with the transaction finalising within four to six months.

Oriana Power Chief business officer Anirudh Saraswat said “We are also humbled by the trust posed in Oriana Power’s ability to execute mega solar projects by the largest companies and are equally excited to take another big step forward in helping India meet its renewable energy goals through this partnership.”

Kyrgyzstan: China-based Yunsheng Mining (Yunnan) and China Yunsheng Group have signed an agreement with the Kyrgyz government to build a cement plant in Tyup, Issyk-Kul region. Business World Magazine has reported that the partners will also establish a hydroelectric power plant next to the plant. Yunsheng Mining (Yunnan) said that the project will help to promote a new model of economic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and China, based on the integration of commodities and energy.

India: Oriana Power has received an order for a 40MWp solar power plant in Rajasthan from a cement producer. The project is valued at US$18m. Oriana will provide engineering, procurement and construction, alongside the commissioning, operation and maintenance of the plant. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in April 2025, with a subsequent operation and maintenance period of 25 years.

Europe: A joint statement by Cefic, Cembureau, Eurofer, Eurometaux and WindEurope has called for accelerated wind deployment as part of a new industrial deal to further support the Green Deal in the European Union (EU).

The organisations say that Europe's energy-intensive industries, like cement and steel, are vital for the wind energy supply chain. However, they assert that current policies lack frameworks that effectively support these industries, which have faced production curtailments due to the energy crisis. Addressing these challenges is fundamental to a new Industrial Deal for Europe, aimed at boosting renewable energy deployment to reduce energy costs. According to the International Energy Agency, the growth in solar photovolatics and wind capacity from 2021 to 2023 helped keep electricity prices lower than they would have been otherwise. Coupling the EU Green Deal with an industrial deal is seen as a strategy to provide regulatory stability, encourage investments in decarbonisation, and enhance competitiveness.

Koen Coppenholle, CEO of Cembureau, said "Cement is a critical component in the construction of wind turbine foundations and their recycling, while the growth of renewable energy is indispensable to achieve the cement sector’s net zero ambition. We look forward to a good cooperation with the wind energy sector to support a strong EU industrial policy and help building the business case for decarbonisation investments," said Coppenholle.