TARA, a partner of Development Alternatives Group, and Promac Engineering begins the process of commercializing LC 3 cement; Signed a memorandum of understanding

New Delhi 27^thMarch: TARA, a partner with Development Alternative group is proud to have been one of the main contributors in the journey of discovering the process of creating green cement of the decade- LC³ cement. Limestone Calcined Clay Cement or LC³ is a new type of composite cement based on a blend of clinker, calcined clay and raw limestone. Clinker content is as low as 50%. LC³ technology has several advantages over Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Portland Pozzolanic Cement (PPC), namely:                

1. Reduces emission of CO₂ up to 40% compared to OPC
2. Lower energy consumption
3. Comparable strength with OPC
4. Improved durability.

LC³ cement will pave the way for significant emission reduction and improved resource efficiency; as availability of high-grade limestone and fly-ash stagnates while demand continues to escalate in India. It is clear that LC³ will be a viable solution to decarbonise the cement industry in India due to wide availability of kaolinite bearing clay resources.

TARA today organised an LC³ Celebration Day at its Head Office in New Delhi. The event supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), New Delhi, Indiawaskick started bythe signing of an MoU with PromacEngineering. PromacEngineering will cater to cement companies in India and across the globe by providing them turnkey solutions from ground-to-gate for producing calcined clay cement. The event was attended by representatives from various cement industries like Ultratech Cements, JK Lakshmi Cements, JK Cements, Star Cements, SCC Lanka Ltd, Balaram Cements to name a few alongwith various construction companies and bilateral and multilateral agencies. 

Various speakers from cement industries across India and the globe presented the readiness of their companies in producing LC³ and the need for it. By 2024, LC³ will be available in the Indian market fuelled by a strong demand as expressed by various construction agencies attending the Celebration Day. 

Dr. Arun Kumar, President Emeritus, Development Alternatives Group expressed that support from the Government of India is necessary to accelerate the uptake of LC³. This can be in the form of preferential procurement by the GOI for infrastructure and housing projects, easy availability of green finance and GST benefits for producing green cement. 

As we celebrate the coming of age of LC³ in India,Jonathan Demenge, Head of Cooperation, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, New Delhi congratulated the pioneering efforts of cement companies, user agencies and Bureau of Indian Standards in making this happen in such a short period of time. 

In its endeavour to popularise the LC³ and ensure its uptake across the country and the world, Dr. Soumen Maity, Chief Technology Officer, TARA announced to launch an yearly “Low Carbon Cement Summit”. This will be in association with cement and construction companies, academics and various governments in India and across the world.

While leading the use of LC³ in concrete and various industrial applications, Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean IC&SR, Indian Institute of Technology thanked various organizations and partners to support them in showcasing the technology in various demonstration projects. Now the construction agencies can use LC³ in their building with confidence supported by the publication of BIS standards.

Mr. Jayaram S. Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, Promac Engineering Industries Ltd, stated that the cement industry has largely benefitted from positive market demands. Many big cement producers are trying to increase efforts to produce cements with lower carbon emissions. A clear trend is now emerging to produce ‘green cement’ and achieving ’net zero’ emissions within tight time lines they have set for themselves. The challenge is to bring to market cost effective/sustainable technologies and solutions to address the pressing priority.

In his vote of thanks, Dr. Soumen Maity, Chief Technology Officer, TARA, stated that we all are excited for the future and very optimistic that this strategic alliance between Promac and TARA on March 19, 2024 will become a trend setter towards de-carbonising the cement industry.