{"id":86489,"date":"2026-10-09T18:05:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=86489"},"modified":"2026-10-09T18:06:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T12:36:42","slug":"india-cement-sector-net-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/09-10-2026\/india-cement-sector-net-zero","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Cement Sector Stands in its way to Net-Zero Emissions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India aims to become a <strong>net-zero emissions economy by 2070,<\/strong> achieving it requires the Indian government to <strong>reduce emissions from the construction sector.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>By 2047,<\/strong> India plans to become an economically developed country and <strong>by 2070,<\/strong> it aims to become a net-zero emissions economy.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Achieving both of these targets requires the Indian government to deal with one of the most important sources of emissions that is <strong>construction.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This <strong>sector consumes steel and cement,<\/strong> among other materials, and its footprint contributes <strong>35% to 40%<\/strong> of all greenhouse gas emissions around the world.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Most of these emissions<\/strong> are because of the energy that the steel and cement sectors need to reach extremely high temperatures required for industrial processes.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But even between the two, the cement sector also emits carbon when calcifying limestone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Indian Cement Sector<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is the <strong>world\u2019s second\u2011largest<\/strong> cement producer <strong>after China,<\/strong> contributing about <strong>13% <\/strong>of global annual cement output.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are<strong> 333 cement manufacturing units<\/strong> in India comprising 159 integrated, large cement plants; 116 grinding units; 62 mini cement plants; and five clinkerization units\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s production of about 391 Mt<\/strong> of cement results in roughly 246 MtCO2e of emissions i.e. around<strong> 6% of national greenhouse gas emissions.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extraction of Limestone:<\/strong> Limestone is the <strong>raw material for cement<\/strong>. It is formed when<strong> calcium-rich marine life,<\/strong> such as oysters and corals, is <strong>fossilised and compressed <\/strong>over millions of years.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accessing it requires miners to first clear forests and all layers of fertile soil in specific areas to expose the sedimentary rock layer.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Limestone can be found 30-60 m under the topsoil in <strong>Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh <\/strong>and at more shallow depths in <strong>Rajasthan.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Calcination:<\/strong><strong>Limestone is mixed with clay <\/strong>and heated to around 1,450\u00b0 C. This heating process alone accounts fo<strong>r 35% to 40% of emissions<\/strong> from cement-making; the rest comes from the chemical breakdown of limestone.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>During the process it releases<strong> carbon dioxide as a by-produc<\/strong>t along with small stone-like balls called clinkers.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are crushed into <strong>powder and mixed in several ratios with gypsum and fly ash<\/strong> and sold as the various cement types available on the market.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Suggestions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Traditional Building Materials:<\/strong> Lime mortar, used in structures such as the Taj Mahal, and lime-based binders combined with volcanic materials used in ancient Roman buildings demonstrate the potential of traditional alternatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF): <\/strong>Processed combustible waste can replace coal and petroleum coke in cement kilns.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NITI Aayog recommends achieving a 20% thermal substitution rate by 2030, potentially reducing emissions by around 80 million tonnes of CO\u2082 equivalent cumulatively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reducing Clinker Content:<\/strong> Replacing clinker with industrial by-products such as fly ash and blast-furnace slag can reduce emissions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the International Energy Agency, replacing one tonne of clinker can avoid approximately 0.83 tonnes of CO\u2082 emissions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promoting Blended Cement:<\/strong> Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) and Portland Slag Cement (PSC) contain less clinker than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), making them lower-carbon alternatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS):<\/strong> Since limestone calcination releases CO\u2082 through a chemical reaction, even a shift to cleaner fuels cannot eliminate all emissions. CCUS is therefore an important option for addressing residual emissions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Adopting Green Cement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Structural Performance and Strength:<\/strong> Builders often prefer OPC because it develops strength more quickly, whereas some blended cements take longer to gain strength.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Industry Preference:<\/strong> The construction industry is deeply accustomed to conventional cement because of its established standards, supply chains, commercial availability and widespread use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Waste Management:<\/strong> Poor segregation of municipal solid waste limits the availability and quality of RDF for industrial use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited Substitution: <\/strong>Excessive replacement of clinker or conventional fuels may affect cement performance, depending on the materials and production process. Substitution must comply with technical and safety standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Commercial Infrastructure:<\/strong> Traditional building materials and alternative binders often lack the standardisation, supply networks and large-scale manufacturing capacity available for cement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Government Procurement:<\/strong> Increase the procurement of certified low-carbon cement for public infrastructure projects to create initial demand and encourage wider adoption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improve Waste Segregation:<\/strong> Strengthen source-level segregation, waste processing and RDF supply chains to enable cement plants to use more waste-derived fuels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promote Research and Innovation: <\/strong>Invest in CCUS, alternative binders, energy-efficient kilns and low-carbon construction materials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Revise Construction Practices:<\/strong> Encourage architects, engineers and builders to adopt alternative materials and designs wherever technically suitable, supported by reliable testing and standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/india-formidable-cement-footprint-stands-way-to-net-zero\/article71550380.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India aims to become a net-zero emissions economy by 2070, achieving it requires the Indian government to reduce emissions from the construction sector. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> \u00a0By 2047, India plans to become an economically developed country and by 2070, it aims to become a net-zero emissions economy. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Achieving both of these targets requires the Indian government to deal with one of the most important sources of emissions that is construction.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/09-10-2026\/india-cement-sector-net-zero\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86489"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86493,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86489\/revisions\/86493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}