UltraTech Cement Limited, which is the world's largest cement manufacturer, excluding China, has achieved a new feat in its decarbonisation journey, with its integrated cement manufacturing plant Kukurdih Cement Works in Chhattisgarh using renewable energy sources to meet 100% of its electricity demand from April 2026 onwards.
Kukurdih Cement Works, which was commissioned in 2024, has a rated grey cement production capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The cement manufacturing facility has been able to achieve total green energy use through the use of renewable energy and WHRS.
Cement Industry Faces Carbon Reduction Pressure
The International Energy Agency (IEA) states that cement is a significant contributor to industrial carbon dioxide emissions. The IEA concludes that merely 2/3 of the CO2 related to cement production results from the chemical transformation from limestone to clinker, with the dominant part of the remaining emissions linked with energy use:
As well as the indicators, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified various measures that are needed in meeting the emission reduction from the cement industry, which is suggested to improve energy efficiency, relies on alternative fuels and lower-carbon electricity to the greatest extent possible, to reduce the clinker content of cement and to be installed with technologies to capture carbon.
The IEA 2025 Breakthrough Agenda Report concluded that drastic decrease in emissions are required from the cement sector to keep the industry on track for achieving net zero emission by 2050 as defined by the global pathway. The measures necessary to achieve this include increased employment of low-carbon fuels, clean electricity, clinker substitution and carbon capture, among others.
In UltraTech, additional renewable electricity investment, Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS) and implementation of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) are part of the company's strategy to reduce the emissions where the energy used in cement production is concerned. These technologies tackle the second part of the emissions occurring due to electricity use, while further decarbonising cement production is to reduce the process emissions from clinker formation.
Utilization of Green Energy in UltraTech Manufacturing Plants
From April 2026, almost one-third of UltraTech's 76 manufacturing plants in India have been operating with more than 50% green energy utilization in terms of their electricity requirements. Some five manufacturing plants, such as Kukurdih Cement Works, have operated with more than 95% green energy utilization.
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have been implemented by UltraTech over its manufacturing network. Such battery storage can aid in the utilization of renewable energy through managing the fluctuation in renewable energy generation and electricity demands.
UltraTech’s 1,897 MW Captive Green Energy Capacity
In Q1 FY27, the captive green energy capacity of UltraTech was 1,897 MW. This comprises 1,463 MW renewable energy capacity of solar, wind, and hybrid projects and 434 MW WHRS capacity.
UltraTech RE100 Targets by 2030 & 2050
The growth of UltraTech's green energy capacity is in line with their RE100 initiative. By 2030, the company will be increasing the proportion of green power to 85% and 100% by 2050.
The milestone of Kukurdih illustrates the possibility of combining renewable power generation with WHRS within an integrated cement manufacturing facility. While renewable energy will help in lowering emissions related to power consumption at the plant, the cement sector's decarbonization process also requires steps to address process emissions from clinker manufacturing.
The continuous development of renewable energy capacity, WHRS, and BESS by UltraTech contributes to their overall efforts to increase the utilization of green energy within their manufacturing facilities.
Image- ultratechcement.com
