WBCSD seeks stakeholder input to low carbon technology roadmap for Indian cement industry

Jan. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- Geneva, January 17, 2012 – The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today announced that it is inviting stakeholders to provide input to a set of technical papers focusing on existing and potential technologies for low carbon growth in the Indian cement industry. The initiative is led by the WBCSD’s Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). It is supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

Stakeholder input will be fed into the Low Carbon Technology Roadmap for the India Cement Industry, a ground-breaking study that was announced last year. Stakeholders are invited to provide input to a set of 29 technical papers focusing on existing technologies which can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cement manufacturing processes by, for example, increasing energy efficiencies and use of alternative fuels, and identifying future technologies with high potential for delivering low carbon growth in the future. The technical papers also outline the policy and financial barriers which prevent widespread uptake of such technologies by the industry.

Philippe Fonta, Managing Director, WBCSD Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) and Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EEB), said: ―I’m delighted to see the technical papers now online for public consultation. They have incorporated sound technical input from experts within the country’s industry, from equipment suppliers, technology developers and consulting organizations. They represent a valuable contribution from the CSI members in India to the national cement industry more broadly, and I hope this will lead to a greater understanding within and outside of the industry to emissions reductions potential for cement production in the near and longer-term.

The technical papers were developed by two leading organizations with extensive experience in such technologies: the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB). They have brought together their internal expertise to address technology background, potential for emissions reductions through implementation of each technology, costs involved and barriers to further development or dissemination.

As part of a stakeholder dialogue with key government, regulatory and financial institutions that can influence update of the technologies now and in the future, an online consultation will commence from today for a period of five weeks.

Alongside the Roadmap development, IFC’s support has enabled the widening of the project’s coverage and scope, to allow the customization of the Roadmap at selected plants of CSI member companies in India. CSI member companies in India represent approximately 54% of the country’s cement production. This will help identify where

specific investments related to technology can lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

"Pursuing a climate-friendly approach to growth is a sustainable model for development, especially for many South Asian countries that are vulnerable to climate change impacts. The Technology Roadmap is an example of how the private sector players can come together, to support India’s low-carbon development goals," said Anil Sinha, IFC Advisory Services General Manager for South Asia.

―This Roadmap is a unique initiative by CSI members in India to pursue low carbon growth. I strongly believe the stakeholder dialogue will help overcome policy and financial barriers which are deterrent to the speedy implementation of the technologies and will contribute to increasing energy efficiencies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cement production in India today and in the longer-term‖ said K S Venkatagiri, Principal Counsellor at the CII Green Business Centre.

Mr S Khan, Director, NCB states ―We feel great pleasure in announcing that NCB have helped produce a set of technology papers that targets CO₂ emission reductions in the Indian cement industry. These technology papers will surely help to develop a Roadmap for a low carbon footprint in the Indian cement industry. We thankfully acknowledge the cooperation provided by the Indian cement Industry and CSI members in particular during the preparation of technology papers.

The India Roadmap will be developed collaboratively by the WBCSD’s CSI and the IEA, following the same elaboration process as the global Cement Technology Roadmap, developed in 2009. It will be led by CSI member companies in India which are: ACC Ltd, Ambuja Cements, HeidelbergCement India Ltd, Lafarge India Private Ltd, My Home Industries Ltd / CRH, Shree Cement, Shree Digvijay Cement Co Ltd – Cimpor Group, UltraTech Cement and Zuari Cement. The IEA will bring expertise in data analysis and modeling, and Roadmap development. Technical consultancy is being provided by the CII and NCBM. The global Cement Technology Roadmap 2009 is available at: www.wbcsdcement.org/technology.