Ambuja Cements Partners With Leilac To Develop Low-Carbon Cement Project In Gujarat

Ambuja Cements teams with Leilac Limited to evaluate carbon capture and hybrid electric heating at the Sanghipuram cement plant in Gujarat. The project aims to cut process emissions, boost renewable energy use, and potentially scale to capture over one million tonnes of CO2 annually, supporting India’s decarbonisation of cement.

Ambuja Cements, the Adani Group's cement and building materials company, has entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based clean technology firm Leilac Limited to develop a commercial-scale low-carbon cement project at its Sanghipuram plant in Gujarat's Kutch district.

The collaboration aims to evaluate advanced carbon capture and hybrid electrification technologies that could significantly reduce carbon emissions from cement manufacturing and pave the way for sustainable cement production in India. The demonstration project will be implemented at Ambuja Cements' 6.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) Sanghi cement plant. It will assess the integration of Leilac's carbon capture technology and hybrid electric heating systems to increase the use of renewable energy while capturing unavoidable carbon dioxide emissions generated during the cement-making process.

According to the companies, the technology has the potential to eliminate coal consumption in cement manufacturing while enabling flexible use of alternative fuels. If successful, the project could be expanded by seven to eight times, with the capacity to capture more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. The companies claim that the proposed facility could become one of the world's largest industrial-scale low-carbon cement projects.

Karan Adani, Director of Ambuja Cements, said the cement sector's transition to a low-carbon future requires technological innovation and strong industry collaboration. *"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,"* Adani said.

The initiative forms part of Ambuja Cements' broader decarbonisation strategy and supports its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated net-zero target for 2050. The company is also expanding the use of renewable energy through nearly 1 GW of captive green power capacity. The company believes the collaboration could improve the commercial viability of carbon capture technologies, making large-scale deployment more feasible across the cement industry.

Daniel Rennie, Chief Executive Officer of Leilac Limited, said Ambuja Cements operates one of the world's largest and most advanced cement manufacturing networks. *"Together, we aim to demonstrate an economic, replicable and future-proof solution for the global cement industry,"* Rennie said.

Ambuja Cements currently has a cement production capacity of 109 MTPA across 24 integrated manufacturing plants and 22 grinding units in India. The company has been investing in renewable energy, waste heat recovery systems, and other sustainability initiatives as part of its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Leilac, a subsidiary of Australian technology company Calix Limited, develops carbon capture and electrification solutions for hard-to-abate industries, including cement and lime manufacturing. The company is currently working with multiple industrial partners across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region to support industrial decarbonisation efforts.