Ambuja Targets 1M Tons CO₂ Capture, Transforming Cement Supply Chains

For supply chain and logistics professionals, cement’s carbon footprint has become a headline risk as customers and regulators demand cleaner materials. Ambuja’s project directly attacks the cement production process at its most carbon-intensive point—the kiln—while leveraging nearly 1 GW of captive green power. If successful, it could reshape procurement strategies, supplier qualification criteria, and the flow of low-carbon construction materials through India’s fast-growing infrastructure pipeline.

Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has taken a decisive step toward industrial decarbonisation by partnering with UK-based clean technology firm Leilac Limited. The collaboration aims to establish a commercial-scale low-carbon cement production pathway at Ambuja’s 6.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) Sanghi plant in Sanghipuram, Kutch, Gujarat. The centrepiece is a demonstration project integrating Leilac’s carbon capture and hybrid electric heating technology. Subject to successful demonstration, the system could be scaled by a factor of seven to eight, ultimately capturing more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Ambuja frames the initiative as central to its broader decarbonisation strategy and its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated net zero goal for 2050.

“

Ambuja Cements, part of the Adani Group, has taken a decisive step toward industrial decarbonisation by partnering with UK-based clean technology firm Leilac Limited.

The cement industry is one of the hardest-to-abate sectors, responsible for roughly 7% of global CO₂ emissions. About two-thirds of those emissions come from the chemical process of calcination—the unavoidable release of CO₂ when limestone is heated. Ambuja and Leilac’s approach directly targets this process emission by capturing the CO₂ rather than simply reducing fuel-burning emissions. Meanwhile, Leilac’s hybrid electric heating technology aims to electrify a portion of the thermal energy input, reducing reliance on coal. Ambuja claims the design could eventually allow coal consumption to fall to zero while flexibly incorporating alternative fuels. This matters enormously in India, where coal dominates cement kilns and the government is pushing for rapid industrial decarbonisation under its updated nationally determined contributions.

The Sanghipuram project is positioned to become the largest industrial-scale plant of its kind globally. Ambuja is already backing the move with nearly 1 GW of captive green power, which will help electrify manufacturing and further lower the carbon intensity of the cement. By combining renewable electricity with carbon capture, the project is an attempt to crack the economic puzzle of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) in a cost-sensitive market. Karan Adani, Director of Ambuja Cements, described the partnership as a reflection of the company’s commitment to next-generation technologies that can reduce process emissions, improve energy efficiency, and support long-term sustainable growth.