Ambuja Cements, the cement and building materials arm of the Adani Group, has signed an agreement with UK-based clean technology company Leilac Limited to develop one of the world’s largest commercial-scale pathways for low-carbon cement production, the companies said in a joint media release on Monday.
Carbon capture demonstration at Kutch plant could scale up to capture over 1 million tonnes CO2 annually
Leilac specialises in carbon capture and electrification technology for industries that are hard to decarbonise, such as cement and lime manufacturing. It is a subsidiary of Australian technology company Calix Limited and already works with partners across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific.
Demonstration project at Sanghi plant
The companies will set up a commercial demonstration project at Ambuja Cements’ 6.6 MTPA Sanghi plant in Sanghipuram, Kutch district. It will test Leilac’s carbon capture and hybrid electric heating technology, which is designed to lower fuel consumption, increase the use of renewable electricity in cement manufacturing, and cut emissions from the cement-making process itself.
The technology could eventually allow the plant to bring coal consumption down to zero while letting it switch flexibly between alternate fuels, according to the release.
If the demonstration succeeds, the project, billed as the largest industrial-scale plant of its kind globally, could be scaled up by 7x to 8x.
At that scale, it could capture more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the companies said, calling it a model for low-carbon cement production in India and beyond.
Part of a larger decarbonisation push
The partnership fits into Ambuja Cements’ wider decarbonisation strategy and supports its net zero target for 2050, which has been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
The company is backed by nearly 1 GW of captive green power as it electrifies its manufacturing operations, and said the Leilac partnership is meant to improve the economics of carbon capture and strengthen the case for deploying it at scale.
Ambuja Cements is the 9th largest building materials company in the world, with a cement capacity of 109 MTPA across 24 integrated plants and 22 grinding units. The company is investing in 1 GW of solar and wind capacity along with 376 MW of Waste Heat Recovery Systems by FY’28.
Karan Adani, director, Ambuja Cements, said: “The cement industry’s transition to a lower-carbon future will require bold thinking, technological innovation and collaboration across the value chain. Our partnership with Leilac reflects our commitment to evaluating next-generation technologies that can reduce process emissions while improving energy efficiency and supporting long-term sustainable growth. This initiative aligns with our vision of building world-class manufacturing operations for the future.”
Daniel Rennie, CEO, Leilac Limited, said: “Ambuja Cements operates one of the world’s largest and most advanced cement manufacturing networks. We’re delighted to begin this collaboration to deliver a commercial-scale project for low-cost, low-carbon cement production. Together, we aim to demonstrate an economic, replicable and future-proof solution for the global cement industry.”
