Use of green raw materials on the rise amidst shift to sustainable construction
Green buildings are projected to grow to 10 billion sq ft and the market for green building materials and sustainable products is expected to grow exponentially. Apart from energy savings, the use of sustainable building materials can have a significant impact on the green economic transformation of the country. “To bring down CO2 levels in production of cement, companies such as JSW have adopted a waste utilisation process that uses by-products or waste from other industries, thus curtailing the use of carbonaceous raw materials,” said Nilesh Narwekar, CEO – JSW Cement. Portland Slag Cement (PSC) is one such blended cement. PSC’s main component - slag - is a by-product from steel plants. Slag is a non-metallic product comprising more than 90 per cent glass, with silicates and alumino-silicates of lime. It is made by combining 45-50 per cent slag, 45-50 per cent clinker, and 3-5 per cent gypsum. Due to its range of benefits, durability and low heat of hydration, it is suitable for mass construction. In India, more than 4,300 projects with about 4.7 billion square feet of built-up area had registered for green technology as of September 2017. India’s green building market is second only to the US, and it is estimated to double by 2022 at 10 billion square feet, valued at around $35-50 billion. Narwekar further said, “Rising awareness among consumers about the need for environmental preservation have made them conscious of the products they use. Industries, on their part, are working towards making their manufacturing processes more sustainable, earth-friendly and ‘green’.” JSW entered the cement market in 2009 with a vision to ensure a sustainable future for the country by producing eco-friendly cement, using industrial by-products - slag. Its plants at Vijayanagar in Karnataka, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, Dolvi in Maharashtra and Salboni in West Bengal utilise best quality slag to produce green cement.
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