India launches CCU testbeds in academia-industry cement collaboration

India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) has announced a first-of-its-kind research and innovation cluster that will see the establishment of five carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) testbeds for the cement sector.

The initiative is intended as a step towards India's Climate Action for fostering National Determined Contributions and decarbonisation pathways for industry. India’s government has set of a goal of achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2070. As a hard-to-abate sector, new technologies are likely to play a critical role in the cement industry realising these net zero targets while improving efficiency.

With this is mind, DST has approved the setting up of five CCU testbeds as Academia-Industry collaboration using a private public partnership (PPP) model, engaging with premier research laboratories as knowledge partners and top cement companies as the industry partners. As announced by Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences, as part of India's National Technology Day celebrations on 11 May the five CCU testbeds are:

Testbed 1 – Ballabhgarh, Haryana: at the National Council for Cement and Building Materials, the pilot plant aims to capture two tonnes per day of CO₂ using oxygen-enhanced calcination, transforming it lightweight concrete blocks and olefins. The industry partner is JK Cement Ltd.

Testbed 2 –  IIT Kanpur + JSW Cement: this testbed will showcase carbon-negative mineralisation, a method that locks CO₂ into solid minerals, effectivelyturning pollution into rock.

Testbed 3 – IIT Bombay + Dalmia Cement: developing a catalyst-driven CO₂ capture process, this project will be installed at an actual cement plant - a bold move toward scaling indigenous clean tech.

Testbed 4 – CSIR-IIP, IIT Tirupati, IISc + JSW Cement: using a vacuum swing absorption process, this testbed will separate CO₂ from cement kiln gases and integrate it back into construction materials - closing the loop.

Testbed 5 – IIT Madras & BITS Pilani, Goa + Ultratech Cement: focussed on innovative carbon-lowering interventions, this initiative pushes the envelope in blending research with real-world impact.