Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, a subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat Ltd, plans to invest ₹2,600 crore in Tamil Nadu over a period of three years. The company will set up two or three greenfield grinding units with a capacity of 2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) each.
The company proposes to set up the new units at Sattur in Virudhunagar district in southern Tamil Nadu, while another unit is expected to come up near the Chennai cluster. “We are exploring the possibility of setting up a unit on the Salem-Coimbatore corridor. These expansions will be undertaken in phases,” said Sunil Aggarwal, Regional Director-South, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd.
Apart from expanding operations, the company is looking to consolidate its position in the existing markets. It is also looking for good growth in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and southern Karnataka, among others.
Solar power capacity
The company plans to invest in creating solar power capacity and waste heat recovery system at its Dalmiapuram cement manufacturing complex near Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu. It has another cement factory at Ariyalur.
Aggarwal said by shifting to solar and other renewable power at its facilities, the company will reduce its overall carbon footprint as it has a sustainability target of achieving the use of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
He said Dalmia Cement was also one of the lowest carbon-emitting cement makers in the country. Its CO2 emission is 489 kg per tonne as against the global average of 600-700 kg per tonne. The company has committed to becoming carbon negative by 2040.