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Aligned with the sustainability vision of its parent company, LafargeHolcim Group, ACC’s 2030 plan is built on four broad pillars of climate and energy, circular economy, environment, and people and communities
Photo Credit : Canva
ACC is an Indian building materials manufacturer that was established 80 years ago. Today, it is a part of the LafargeHolcim Group, one of leading building materials players in the world. In FY21, ACC reported net sales of Rs 13,487 crore and consolidated net profit of Rs 1,430 crore. Noteworthy among the company’s achievements last year were the commissioning of a new grinding unit at Sindri in Jharkhand, which will add 1.4 MTPA of cement capacity to its existing 3 MTPA unit at this site.
Sustainability strategy
ACC’s sustainability strategy is led by the Sustainable Development Plan 2030 which is aligned with the sustainability vision of the parent company. Initiatives undertaken as part of this plan include investments in improving energy efficiency of production facilities, the use of alternative raw material and fuels, and the replacement of the CO2 intensive clinker used in cement manufacturing with resources derived from waste such as fly ash and slag.
Sridhar Balakrishnan, Managing Director and CEO of ACC Ltd. said, “Our sustainability strategy is led by our Sustainable Development 2030 Plan, which focuses on four broad pillars of climate and energy, circular economy, environment, and people and communities. The long-term success of our business is rooted in our ability to keep sustainability at the core of our endeavors. Our unwavering commitment towards balancing business growth, environmental stewardship and social progress bears testimony to our concerted and responsible efforts towards transitioning towards a brighter future.”
Reduction in lifecycle pollution
The emissions reduction initiatives have resulted in 3.7 per cent reduction in specific CO2 emissions, 22 per cent decrease in specific NOx emissions and 27 per cent reduction in specific dust emissions over the previous financial year. In FY21, ACC consumed 3.63 million cubic metre of water in cement operations, which was 9 per cent lower than the consumption in the previous year. In FY21, out of the total cement produced, nearly 90 per cent was blended cement, that is, cement that uses waste resources like using fly ash and slag as raw materials. Last year, ACC co-processed 0.57 metric tonnes of waste of which 99,517 tonnes were plastic waste. The Indian arm of Geocycle, a global waste management brand of LafargeHolcim Group signed an MoU with the Kerala government for the disposal of non-recyclable plastic waste. Through more than 100 Resource Recovery Centres across the state, the company uses the Bubble Barrier Technology to reduce waste from entering the ocean and landfills.
As of FY21, the company offered eight products that have been certified by the Confederation of Indian Industry to be eco-labelled. The company’s R&D initiatives in the area of green products include the development of carbon neutral concrete and ultra-high performance concrete.
Green energy
ACC’s green energy consumption was 85.26 units in FY21. In the year prior, the consumption was 82.39 units. It reported a thermal substitution rate of 6.93 per cent in FY21, up 1.48 per cent in FY20. With the operationalisation of waste heat recovery plants in Jammu and Kymore in 2022, ACC’s waste heat recovery capacity will increase from 7.5 MW to 22.5 MW.
Supply chain management
ACC has a dealer footprint of 12,000, with nearly 2,050 added last year. The company has integrated the supply chain into its operational efficiency and sustainability strategy. Notable among these are a partnership with Blue Yonder, an AI-powered automation and optimisation platform provider that was launched last year, and enhancements to the Dealer Connect and Concrete Club apps.