7 June 2024: UltraTech Cement Limited, India’s largest cement and ready-mix concrete company, announced today that it has conserved 105 million cubic meters of water in FY24, making it five times water positive. This conservation includes water reused, recycled, harvested, and recharged within its unit premises and through community interventions, marking a significant increase of over 20 million cubic meters from FY23.
UltraTech’s water management efforts extend beyond its unit premises into the communities where it operates. The company’s water conservation initiatives underscore its belief in the criticality of water as a shared resource essential for both business operations and community wellbeing. Proactive measures include installing rainwater harvesting systems across site locations and setting up Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plants at several manufacturing units to enable the reuse of 100% treated water.
Through watershed management approaches and community-driven initiatives, UltraTech focuses not just on water conservation but also on enhancing lives and livelihoods. These projects involve holistic planning based on local rainfall patterns and aim to harvest a percentage of the rainfall, alongside other water conservation activities. UltraTech’s watershed projects target four main objectives: effective natural resource management, increased farm productivity through advanced agricultural practices, promotion of livelihood activities to create economic opportunities, and empowering women through community-based organizations.
UltraTech has constructed 191 check dams, 97 rainwater harvesting structures, soak pits, and large ponds through its community watershed projects. These initiatives have benefited over 35,218 farmers. The company’s commitment to water resource protection and conservation is a key component of its broader sustainability efforts.
In FY24, UltraTech has made significant progress in various sustainability focus areas, including decarbonization, energy transition, circular economy, biodiversity management, water conservation, safe operations, and community development. The company’s net CO2 emission intensity decreased to 556 kg/tonne of cementitious products in FY24, down from 632 kg/tonne in 2017, aligning with its target of a 27% reduction in carbon intensity by 2032. Additionally, UltraTech has decided not to invest further in thermal power capacity as part of its expansion projects, further reducing fossil fuel dependence and increasing green energy use.
UltraTech has met its EP100 commitment ahead of the 2035 target by doubling energy productivity from the base year 2010. It has also significantly increased its renewable energy (RE) capacity by 77% and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS) capacity by 32% from FY23, with current capacities at 612 MW of RE and 278 MW of WHRS. The company achieved a 23.6% electricity substitution by green power in FY24 and aims to increase the overall share of green energy to 85% by 2030.
In promoting a circular economy, UltraTech has scaled up the use of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement manufacturing. It utilized over 33 million metric tons of recycled and alternative raw materials and over 1.5 million metric tons of alternative fuels in FY24, becoming 3.26 times plastic-negative.
UltraTech is also committed to achieving ‘No Net Loss’ to biodiversity, having completed biodiversity assessments for 14 of its integrated units with plans to complete all by December 2024. The company adopted the Miyawaki afforestation method, planting over 34,000 trees at five units, contributing to carbon sequestration, and providing economic benefits to local communities.
These efforts reflect UltraTech’s holistic approach to embedding sustainability across its value chain, underscoring its commitment to building a sustainable future.
