Indo-Swiss Project in Low-Carbon Cement to Get Boost In India

LAUSANNE: LC3, a low-carbon cement jointly developed by Indian and Swiss researchers, is set to grow in India where the demand for cement will increase hugely as the country embarks on a $1 trillion infrastructure development plan.

"We are in touch with several agencies including the National Council for Building Material in India. They have all shown keen interest in the material," said Karen Scrivener, Full Professor, Construction Material Laboratory at Ecole Polytechique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL), a leading technology institute in Switzerland.

"We will be able to strengthen the relationship (with India)," said Scrivener during a recent presentation at EPFL.

After having tested its efficacy in pilot programmes, the objective is to make LC3 a standard general-use material and a feasible and viable product for sustainable development in global cement market, she said.

The Limestone Calcinated Clay Cement (LC3) can help reduce CO2 emissions by about 30 per cent and is made using limestone and low-grade clays. It is also cost-effective and does not require intensive modifications to existing plants to adapt to production of the new type of cement, Scrivener said.