UltraTech will be among the first industrial players in using Coolbrook’s revolutionary technology for decarbonisation of cement manufacturing process. The RDH technology uses electrification from renewable sources for the heating processes in cement production and removes the need to use fossil fuels, thus helping to accelerate decarbonisation of cement manufacturing.
This project is a part of UltraTech’s efforts to leverage cutting-edge technology solutions to accelerate decarbonisation of its operations in line with its 2050 Net Zero commitment. The successful implementation of the RDH technology is expected to reduce the use of coal-based thermal energy in cement production. The project envisages use of RDH technology initially for replacing use of fossil-fuel based energy in the drying of alternative fuels; learnings from the project will be used to scale it up for deployment in cement production.
UltraTech had signed an MoU with Coolbrook in June 2022 to jointly explore use of RotoDynamic Heater technology to electrify cement manufacturing. Coolbrook and UltraTech are now extending their cooperation following the successful large-scale pilot project of a RDH unit at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen (Netherlands), in December 2022. Using 100% renewable energy, the heat generating capabilities of RDH units were demonstrated in real time at the pilot project, proving the technology’s capability of hitting the temperature target required for cement production.
UltraTech is the third largest cement producer in the world, outside of China, with a consolidated Grey Cement capacity of 135.55 MTPA. It is a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the Net Zero Concrete Roadmap announced by GCCA.
K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement, said, “As a founding member of the GCCA, we are committed to the sectoral aspiration of delivering Net Zero concrete by 2050. Towards this end, we are continuously striving to innovate at every stage of the whole life of concrete. Coolbrook’s RDH technology represents an exciting technological pathway that we believe has the potential to exponentially accelerate our progress towards full decarbonisation. Every megawatt of clean energy that we add to our mix makes a big difference.”
Joonas Rauramo, CEO, Coolbrook, said, “The deployment of RDH units at an UltraTech cement plant will be a ground-breaking demonstration of the power of RotoDynamic Technology and clean energy. Burning fossil fuels will no longer be necessary in cement production thanks to our patented technology. It is very encouraging to see industry leaders like UltraTech embrace ground-breaking manufacturing methods that will power the clean industrial revolution.”
Ilpo Kuokkanen, Executive Chairman, Coolbrook, added, “By applying Coolbrook’s game-changing technology, UltraTech becomes one of the first cement producers in the world to take the lead in implementing RotoDynamic technology. This establishes the fact that Indian heavy industry is currently putting themselves on a track for becoming global forerunners in clean manufacturing of basic materials like cement, iron, steel, and petrochemicals. This will work in favour for the whole country in their ambition to emerge as the new manufacturing hub of the world.”
Coolbrook is on a mission to decarbonise major industrial sectors such as petrochemicals and chemicals, iron, steel, and cement. Its revolutionary rotating technology combines space science, turbomachinery, and chemical engineering to replace burning of fossil fuels across all major industrial sectors. The technology has two main applications: RotoDynamic Reactor (RDR) to reach 100% CO2 free olefin production, and RotoDynamic Heater (RDH) to provide carbon-free process heating to iron and steel, cement, and chemicals production. Backed by a growing number of governments, technology partners, industrial producers, and environmental regulators, Coolbrook technology is set to become the new global standard in industrial electrification.
