UltraTech boosts circular economy through novel use of waterways
In a major boost to the circular economy, UltraTech Cement Limited has leveraged inland and coastal waterways to transport a consignment of 57,000 metric tons (MT) of phosphogypsum in a bulk cargo carrier across India. The stockpile was transported from Paradeep port in Odisha, in the north-eastern part of the country to reach the jetty of Gujarat Cement Works (GCW) on the western coast of the country, on April 26, 2023. This pioneering initiative has demonstrated the use of a multimodal supply chain as a cost-viable and safe transport option for other cement companies to replicate.
A circular economy provides an opportunity to reduce the use of fossil fuels, limestone, and clinker to make cement, and lowers emissions of GHG. UltraTech is constantly building on its efforts to reduce the environmental burden of plastic waste, industrial waste, and municipal waste by using them in cement manufacturing operations.
In FY2023 alone, UltraTech has used more than 29 MMT of alternate fuel, raw materials, and recycled materials in cement production. The company has also witnessed an increase of 18% in the use of recycled materials compared to FY22.
UltraTech’s CO₂ net intensity has declined by 12% from the base year of 2017 to net 557 kg CO₂/tonnes of cementitious products in FY 2022–23. In FY23, UltraTech achieved a plastic negativity of 2.44 times.