ACC Deploys Advanced Technological Solutions to Monitor and Curb Emissions

MUMBAI:
ACC Ltd., one of India’s leading and most sustainable cement makers, has adopted an advance technological approach to control carbon emissions. And this has revolutionised the manner in which the company monitors and curbs its carbon emissions.

The company has installed advanced primary and secondary abatement measures in addition to regular maintenance of equipment at its manufacturing locations across the country to minimise air emissions. This helps ACC to comply with the emission limit value mandated by various regulators.

ACC has also installed continuous emission monitoring systems at all of its 17 cement plants to monitor air emissions. Air quality is also monitored through the continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations. All plants have high efficiency bag filters in all operations, with the latest electrostatic precipitators deployed in clinker cooler applications. The equipment are also subject to periodic maintenance for maximum efficiency.

In addition, ACC has taken several measures to reduce CO2 emissions, such as reducing the clinker factor, improving Thermal Substitution Rate reducing Thermal and Electrical Energy intensity, implementing Waste Heat Recovery System and increasing the rate of renewable energy consumption, and introducing new technologies.

Sridhar Balakrishnan, MD and CEO, ACC Limited, said, “We aim to deliver value to all our stakeholders in a purposeful and sustainable manner. And this is where our ‘environment-first’ approach comes in. We believe that our emission levels should not just meet regulatory requirements, but also improve on itself year after year.”

ACC Ltd., also has been recognized for leadership in corporate sustainability by global environmental non-profit CDP, securing a place on its prestigious ‘A List’ for tackling climate change. ACC was recognized for its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy.

In 2021, ACC became the first Indian Cement Company to sign the ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ commitment with 2030 intermediate targets approved by Science based Targets initiative (SBTi). With these targets, ACC commits to reduce its CO2 intensity in cement operations from 511 kg in 2018 to 409 kg CO2 per ton of cementitious material by 2030. With 493 kg CO2 per ton of cementitious material in 2020, ACC performance is among the lowest specific CO2 emissions in the country.

This also ties in with ACC’s multi-dimensional approach towards safeguarding the environment.

The company, apart from minimising its air emissions, promotes biodiversity and recycles water to reduce its environmental footprint. At the same time, it takes active efforts to nurture and green our surroundings. For instance, in the past three years, ACC has developed forests at its Chanda and Wadi manufacturing plants using the Miyawaki technique.