Displaying items by tag: Ambuja

India: Ambuja Cements has celebrated the recognition of its water management practices through its listing on CDP's Water A List 2021. The company is the first cement producer to acheive the rating. It said that it succeeded through 'prudent' use of water- for instance through modular curing and concrete mix proportion adjustments - and harvesting. In addition, it continues to evolve its cement portfolio to minimise its consumption of natural resources, with a focus on water. Ambuja Cements' Sustainable Development Ambition 2030 strategy commits it to a freshwater withdrawal reduction of 15% by 2030. Its initiatives have so far saved 70Ml of water, according to the company. It called this a 'robust step' on the global path to sustainable construction and said that it will continue to advocate for environmentally friendly solutions.

Managing director and chief executive officer Neeraj Akhoury said "Water has always been the key focus area for Ambuja Cements. This achievement reaffirms our will to remain committed to address water scarcity issues in future and contribute to the establishment of sustainable tomorrow."

India: ACC and Ambuja Cements have partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) to develop a range of calcined clay cements with 50% lower CO₂ emissions than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). The collaboration will vary clinker, calcined clay and limestone levels in calcined clay cements in order to ascertain their effects on its performance. France-based Holcim Innovation Centre will fund the research.

Holcim India chief executive officer and managing director Neeraj Akhoury said "Through our extensive research and development setup, we consistently strive to develop new low-CO₂ materials for the construction industry. Calcined clay cement is one such avenue to make a significant quantitative difference in the industry and further accelerate our sustainability drive. Our academic partnership with IITD is a big step towards building a greener future and we are excited to collaborate with the best minds in the country."

The producers have previously partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) to study low-CO₂ binders with alternative reinforcements and with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) to develop smart sensing technology for continuous on-site strength evaluation of a concrete structure.

India: Ambuja Cement has received validation from the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) that its CO₂ reduction targets conform to a well below zero global warming scenario. India Infoline News has reported that Ambuja Cement is committed to a Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO₂ emissions reduction of 21% to 453kg/t of cementitious materials by 2030 from 531kg/t in 2020. Over this period, it aims to reduce Scope 1 emissions by 20% and Scope 2 emissions by 43%.

Ambuja's chief executive officer and managing director Neeraj Akhoury said “We are constantly dedicated and invested in sustainable development and aim to include sustainability in all operational and project planning. With science-based targets developed and validated, Ambuja Cement has now joined the group of global companies promoting an ambitious low carbon economy model for the industry. Being part of the Holcim group and one of the pioneers in the Indian cement industry, we have taken another step towards strengthening our Climate Change adaptability by joining the Race to Zero." He added "Ambuja Cement will continue to implement such best practices and adopt continuous improvement initiatives to achieve our business vision to be most competitive and sustainable company in our industry.

India: Ambuja Cements has commenced commercial production at its new 3Mt/yr Marwar cement plant in Nagaur, Rajasthan. The plant has and an additional 2Mt/yr of grinding capacity. The Orissa Diary newspaper has reported that the producer invested US$316m in its construction. The Marwar cement plant increases Ambuja Cement’s installed capacity by 20% to 29.7Mt/yr.

Managing director Neeraj Akhoury said “Ambuja has ambitious growth plans to expand its capacities in India, and the Marwar plant is a step in that direction. We are very proud that it is a ‘green plant’ designed to meet our ambition for a sustainable future. The plant has deployed all modern equipment and technology to produce cement in a more environmentally friendly manner. It has a waste heat recovery (WHR) system that converts waste heat derived during the production process into energy.”

India: Ambuja Cements has launched Concrete Futures Laboratories, a one-stop solution for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals. Eight laboratories across India will enable them to test various aspects of cement and concrete.

CEO Neeraj Akhoury said "Our strong credentials in research and development and innovation have helped us develop new products and services tailored to our customers' needs. We consistently work towards developing cutting-edge solutions for our stakeholders, and the Concrete Futures Laboratory is a testament to our efforts. We aim to create an ecosystem that is focused on collaboration and inclusive growth to build a better and sustainable tomorrow."

India: Ambuja Cement has saved 70Ml of water since the beginning of 2020 through the installation of rooftop rainwater harvesting systems at 268 construction sites across India.

Neeraj Akhoury, the chief executive officer of Ambuja Cement, said "The scope and opportunities for creating a sustainable future are immense. As part of the global organisation, Holcim, Ambuja Cement's ambition is to be a part of the solution to the sustainability challenges faced today. I am pleased with the progress that we have made through our efforts, and we will continue to put into action bolder plans for emission reduction, resource optimisation and water conservation to build a sustainable India."

India: Holcim subsidiary Ambuja Cements has launched trial production at its new 3.0Mt/yr Marwar integrated cement plant in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district. The launch follows a total investment of US$316m in the plant’s construction. The plant is equipped with an additional 2.0Mt/yr of grinding of grinding capacity and a waste heat recovery (WHR) plant.

Managing director and chief executive officer Neeraj Akhoury said “It’s a proud moment for us at Ambuja Cements. Our endeavour shall always be to become a strong partner and a builder of progress for India."

India: Authorities in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, have closed an unauthorised cement plant in connection with a crackdown on illegal production facilities in the state. The unit, reported to have been in operation for several years, was closed following a tip-off.

The investigating team confiscated more than 500 bags of adulterated cement bearing familiar brand logos, including Ambuja Cement, ACC, Birla and UltraTech Cement. In addition to mixing cement with inert materials, the authorities believe that the unit engaged in the re-sale of cement that had expired and thus could not be guaranteed to reach its designated strength in use.

Fake cement, produced by mixing genuine cement with cheaper inert materials like marble dust and artificial pigments before repacking and selling to an unsuspecting public, presents a major and growing risk to consumers of cement in India.

India: The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) has elected KC Jhanwar as its chairman for the year 2021 – 2022. Shri Neeraj Akhoury was elected as the vice-chairman.

KC Jhanwar is currently the managing director of UltraTech Cement and the president of the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA). He originally joined Aditya Birla Group in 1981 as a management trainee in the cement business. Since then he has worked across finance, operations and general management roles in the cement and chemical sectors. Jhanwar is a chartered accountant by qualification.

Neeraj Akhoury is currently the managing director and chief executive officer of Ambuja Cement and the vice-president of the CMA. He holds over 25 years of experience in the cement and steel sectors. He began his career with Tata Steel in 1993 and later joined the predecessor company to Holcim Group in 1999. Akhoury holds a degree in economics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool in the UK. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School in the US and had studied general management at XLRI business school at Jamshedpur.

India: Ambuja Cement plans to spend around US$42m on upgrading its Ropar grinding plant in Punjab. The unit will have its capacity increased by 1.5Mt to 4.5Mt/yr by June 2023. It will install a new vertical roller mill and will produce cement using fly ash. The expansion is part of the company’s aim to reach a cement production capacity of 50Mt/yr.