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The Indian Cement Industry, the second largest cement producer in the world, is all set to take a big leap further with more and more cement plants opting for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, said Shri Shiban Raina, Director General, National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB). Shri Raina was delivering the Inaugural Address at the “National Workshop on Life Cycle Assessment for Cement Sector”, here today. The LCA studies are bound to enhance our understanding of material balances and energy inputs and devising strategies for mitigation and conservation of precious non-renewable natural resources. The NCB is a cooperative research organisation functioning under the Miistry of Commerce and Industry.
The Workshop is an initiative to apply the emerging concept of LCA to the Indian cement industry with a view to assess the impact on environment at each and every stage of cement manufacturing commencing with the mining of limestone and finishing with the use of cement in building and construction and also recycling of alternate resources.
Organized by NCB and supported by Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) Govt. of India, the Workshop was well attended more than 40 delegates from Cement Industry and Associations, Govt., various R&D Organizations, NGO’s and others including TERI and IIT Delhi, etc. Dr. Arvind Nema of IIT presented a paper on LCA studies for Process Industries – A tool for sustainable Development & Dr. S N Pati of NCB presented the paper entitled “LCA study for cement sector – Project Outcome”. LCA case studies form four Cement plants namely – Ultra Tech Cemco – Hirmi, Gujarat Ambuja Cement – Kodinar, Rajashree Cement – Malkhed and ACC – Gagal, were also presented.
Prof. D K Biswas, former Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) presided. Dr R R Khan, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) Govt. of India highlighted the objectives of the LCA studies, as the right step towards sustainable development.
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