Cement, Energy and Environment

55 Event Brief 15 TH NCB INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON CEMENT, CONCRETE AND BUILDING MATERIALS HIGHLIGHTS The 15 th NCB International Seminar on Cement, Concrete and Building Materials, held during 5-8 December 2017 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, received overwhelming participation of more than 1,200 delegates including 90 overseas delegates from 21 countries – Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, USA etc. Welcoming the delegates, Dr. S K Breja, Joint Director & Organising Secretary said that nearly 200 papers in 25 technical sessions were scheduled for presentation during the seminar. This apart, there would be a Special Technical Session by Dr Kare Helge Karstensen and a Panel Discussion by WBCSD, he informed. Nearly 80 companies were exhibiting their products in 119 stalls at the event. The event was being supported by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and Bureau of Indian Standards. Inaugurating the Seminar through video conferencing, Shri Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India drew the attention of the participants towards depleting limestone and other resources. He called for conservation of natural resources and inventing/developing alternative building materials. Further, he exhorted the industry captains to make use of alternative fuels & raw materials in cement production and contribute towards 'Swachh Bharat'. In his Presidential address, Dr S Chouksey, Chairman (NCB) & Wholetime Director (JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd.) said the cement industry is burdened with substantial idle capacity of over 100 million tonnes, amidst a low demand scenario. It is hoped that policy measures envisaged by the Government such as Make in India, Clean India mission, 100 Smart cities, Housing for all would lead to spur in cement demand in the coming years and the projected demand for cement in 2022 would be in excess of 600 million tonnes. The address of Shri Ashutosh Saxena, Director General (Actg.)-NCB, on ‘A technological perspective of the cement industry’ covered technological advancements, energy performance, environmental improvement, quality management, emerging concrete technologies as well as NCB’s contribution in these areas. Highlight of the speech of Shri Ajay Kapur, Managing Director & CEO, Ambuja Cements Ltd. on ‘The Industry Perspective’: With the Government declaring its intention to unshackle the impediments in economic and infrastructural growth, the years ahead are expected to be brighter. In the near future, India will be well-positioned to become the main exporter of clinker and cement to various countries, including our neighbours. With a strong R&D base in the form of NCB as well as in-house R&D facilities set up by some cement companies, the industry is in a position to quickly adopt new innovations and will always be at par with the best international practices in cement manufacture. At present the Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) in India through alternate fuels is around 4% compared to the average TSR of 40% in European cement plants. I am positive that the cement industry can provide a permanent and sustainable solution for waste management. And this is why it is imperative for government support in the form of policy initiatives to promote the use of AFR, Fly Ash etc. Rail freight rates have increased substantially during the last five years for which GoI has to do something. Highlight of the speech of Shri Mahendra Singhi, Group CEO &Wholetime Director, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd. On ‘Future Outlook and Challenges’: Today, India with an annual capacity of 425 million tonnes is producing around 290 million tonnes due to demand constraints. If the various initiatives announced by the Government are any indication, a 9 % growth in cement demand would mean an additional requirement of 2.5-2.7% times the current volumes to reach around 600 MTPA by 2022. Per capita consumption is about 190 kg, which has the potential to be raised substantially in the coming years through the expected economic boost. Its export of clinker and cement, which have hovered around 5 million tonnes