UltraTech explores electrification to reduce CO2 emissions

UltraTech Cement Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coolbrook to explore how electrification of the cement kiln heating process can help reduce CO₂ emissions. Coolbrook, a transformational technology and engineering company, will be looking at how its Roto Dynamic Heater (RDH) can be used to deliver temperatures of up to 1700˚C with high energy efficiency, thereby enabling its use in processes that have previously been considered impossible to electrify. 
 
When powered by electricity from renewable sources, the technology can eliminate CO₂ emissions from the burning of fossil fuels across all major industries. According to the company, it is the only electric process heating technology in the world with the capability to cut more than 25 per cent of industrial CO₂ emissions and over seven per cent of global CO₂ emissions each year. Its compact size also means the RDH can be retrofitted to existing facilities. UltraTech and Coolbrook hope to have the technology ready for commercial use on an industrial scale by 2024. 
 
“UltraTech, as a founding member of the 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,” said Kailash Jhanwar, managing director, UltraTech Cement.