MUMBAI:
Ambuja Cements Ltd, one of the top cement making companies in the country, plans to expand the production capacity of its Ropar plant in Punjab with an estimated investment of Rs. 310 crore over the next two years.
Ambuja Cements, a part of the global building materials conglomerate Holcim, is expanding its Cement Grinding Unit by 1.5 MTPA at Ropar. The expansion is expected to be completed by June 2023. Post this expansion, the total capacity of the Cement Grinding Unit at Ropar will increase to 4.5 MTPA from 3 MTPA now.
This expansion will help the Company maintain its share and competitiveness in the Northern markets in India. The Ropar brownfield expansion is part of the Company’s strategy to increase its total cement capacity to 50 MTPA in the mid-term.
The upcoming unit will have state-of-art technology with Vertical Roller Mill for cement grinding and will produce fly ash-based cement. Ambuja is aligned with its parent Holcim’s Net Zero plan and sustainability strategy and it is progressing on its Sustainable Development Plan 2030, with a sharper focus on climate and energy, building a circular economy, conserving resources and nature, and driving meaningful change in the lives of communities.
The fresh investment is also made in anticipation of a growing demand for cement triggered by the steady growth in India’s urbanization leading to more investment in public infrastructure and housing.
“We are optimistic about the growth in demand for cement in India. The expansion of our Ropar unit along with more investment in the coming years will help us unlock fresh opportunities by debottlenecking of existing capacities and create new ones across the country. We expect our expansion plans to add around 15 MTPA capacity in the mid-term taking our total cement capacity to 50 MTPA,” said Neeraj Akhoury, MD and CEO, Ambuja Cements Ltd.
Ambuja will also be commissioning new capacity in Marwar, Rajasthan that will enhance clinker capacity by 3 MTPA and help increase cement sales by 5 MTPA, thereby contributing to long term strategy of capacity expansion. This Greenfield integrated plant is being set-up with a total investment of Rs. 2,350 crores.
Ambuja Cement, and its main subsidiary ACC, have now come together to create more shareholder value and have a strong presence in India with strategically located plants. Its integrated plants and grinding units are present in more than 11 states covering more than 32 districts across India.
With the Government’s thrust on infrastructure and affordable housing, the Company believes that the cement sector has an attractive growth potential and Ambuja Cement is strongly progressing to become the ‘Most Innovative, Sustainable and Competitive Building Solutions Company in India’. The Company has a robust road map to become the best in the industry – through four strategic priorities –Competitiveness, Growth, Innovation & Digital and Sustainability.
