UltraTech Cement Inks MoU with Coolbrook to Explore Possibilities of CO2 Emissions Reduction at its Mfg Units

Aditya Birla Group’s cement and ready-mix-concrete manufacturing arm UltraTech Cement has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coolbrook to explore the possibilities of reducing CO2 emissions from its cement manufacturing operations.
 
Coolbrook is a transformational technology and engineering company offering rotating technology that combines space science, turbomachinery and chemical engineering to replace the burning of fossil fuels across all major industrial sectors. It has two main applications i.e. Roto Dynamic Reactor (RDR) to reach 100 per cent CO2-free olefin production, and Roto Dynamic Heater (RDH) to provide carbon-free process heating to iron and steel, cement and chemicals production.
 
Under the MoU, the two companies will jointly explore the use of RDH to electrify the cement kiln heating process.
 
Moreover, both the entities will collaborate to develop optimal electric process heating solutions for the cement manufacturing process replacing fossil fuels.
 
Commenting on the partnership, Kailash Jhanwar, Managing Director of UltraTech Cement, said “UltraTech, as a founding member of Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), has committed to GCCA’s ‘2050 Climate Ambition’ to deliver carbon neutral concrete by 2050. As part of our RE100 commitment, we aim to meet 100 per cent of our electricity requirement through renewables sources by 2050. Our MoU with Coolbrook, is a step to further accelerate our efforts to decarbonise our operations and deliver our sustainability targets.”
 
Coolbrook claimed that its RDH technology can achieve process temperatures of up to around 1700 ºC with high energy efficiency and can thereby be used in processes that have been considered impossible to electrify. When powered by electricity from renewable sources, the technology can eliminate CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning across all major industries.
 
Due to its compact size, RDH can also be retrofitted to existing facilities, thereby significantly accelerating the reduction in much-needed CO2 emissions. The companies expect this groundbreaking technology to be ready for commercial use on an industrial scale in 2024.
 
 
“India is one of the most important potential markets for Coolbrook as we want to make a global impact on CO2 emission reductions. Cooperation with India’s leading cement producer UltraTech is a significant step in our strategy to decarbonize heavy industry processes globally. UltraTech is also an excellent addition to our comprehensive and responsive partnership ecosystem spanning across leading industrial actors, academic institutions, and the public sector,” said Ilpo Kuokkanen, Executive Chairman of Coolbrook.
 
UltraTech has committed to reducing Scope 1 GHG intensity by 27 per cent by 2032 from the base year of 2017. UltraTech has also committed to reducing Scope 2 GHG intensity by 69 per cent by 2032 from the base year of 2017. These GHG emission targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).