Cement Decarbonisation Made Possible: The RDH Tech Story
Newzdaddy Business Updates
Adani Cement’s Boyareddypalli plant in Andhra Pradesh will be the first cement plant globally to commercially deploy Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Heater™ (RDH™) technology in the industrial space.
Coolbrook’s RDH technology is designed specifically for “hard-to-abate” industries, meaning those which have been difficult to decarbonise because of their need for very high process temperatures (for example cement, steel, petrochemicals). Also, this marks a milestone because while pilot engagements have been cited in other sectors, this is the first announced full commercial deployment of RDH technology in the cement space at an industrial scale.
RDH™ system will be powered entirely by Adani Cement’s large-scale renewable energy portfolio, ensuring that the industrial heat generated is completely carbon emission free. According to Coolbrook, their technology can electrify high-temperature processes (up to 1700 °C) when powered by clean electricity, eliminating fossil-fuel combustion in the heating stage. In the cement sector, a key challenge has been generating the very high heat needed without burning coal, petcoke or other fossil fuels — this deployment shows how renewable-powered heat can be used instead.
This commercial deployment is expected to directly reduce ~60,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually with a potential to increase 10× in due course. The figure of ~60,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year is consistent with multiple press sources for the first phase of this project. Additionally, Coolbrook’s website states that globally their RDH technology has potential to cut ~2.4 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year across heavy industries if deployed widely.
This complements Adani Cement’s targets to increase AFR (Alternative Fuels & Resource materials) to 30% ( increased from earlier target of 28%) while we achieve 60% green power share by FY28. Many cement companies are being challenged to increase use of alternative fuels (waste-derived, biomass, etc) and increase power from renewables. According to sources the target of 30% alternative fuels is aligned with global decarbonization trends in cement. By combining increased alternative fuel use + electrified heating + green power, the plant improves its overall emissions footprint beyond just reduction in fossil fuel combustion. This holistic approach is increasingly seen in sustainable manufacturing road-maps.
Adani Cement and Coolbrook announce their delivery agreement for the world’s first commercial deployment of the RotoDynamic Heater™ (RDH™) technology to advance cement decarbonisation at the Boyareddypalli Integrated Cement Plant in Andhra Pradesh, India. This marks the first industrial scale deployment of Coolbrook’s RDH™ technology, advancing Adani Cement’s net-zero goals achievement by 2050 (validated by the Science Based Targets initiative) and Coolbrook’s goal of cutting 2.4 billion tonnes of annual CO₂ across heavy industry sectors globally.The SBTi validation of net-zero by 2050 gives credibility to Adani Cement’s sustainability claim. Also, the reference to “2.4 billion tonnes” aligns with Coolbrook’s stated ambition on their website.
This technology will decarbonise the calcination phase – the most fossil-fuel-intensive stage of cement production. By providing clean heat to dry and enhance the heating value of alternative fuels, the technology enables a significantly higher substitution of fossil fuels with sustainable alternatives. On Coolbrook’s site you’ll find that the calciner process (and kiln pre-calciner) are explicitly flagged as optimal use-cases for RDH because they require high temperatures and are often fired by coal/petcoke. In cement production, calcination contributes a large share of CO₂ emissions (from the raw material chemistry + fuel combustion) so tackling it via electrification can make a meaningful difference.
Critically, the RDH™ system will be powered entirely by Adani Cement’s large-scale renewable energy portfolio, ensuring that the industrial heat generated is completely emission-free. This deployment demonstrates the real-world feasibility of clean, electrified industrial heat powered entirely by renewables. This positions Adani Cement to spearhead India’s emergence as the world’s clean manufacturing cement hub.
Many commentary pieces emphasise India’s ambition to become a “clean manufacturing hub” and this specific project supports that narrative. The fact that the heat generation is fully electrified and tied to renewables is important because it means the emissions aren’t just shifted upstream (to a power plant) but rather that renewable energy is directly replacing fossil fuels on-site. This is a stronger decarbonisation step.
Mr Vinod Bahety, CEO – Cement Business, Adani Group, said: “The world’s first commercial deployment of Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Heater™ within our operations marks a pivotal moment in our decarbonisation journey. …” In his statement, Bahety emphasises “accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels, reducing emissions at scale …” which aligns with what other articles report: this is not just a pilot, but a major leap. Such leadership statements matter in signalling to investors, regulators and peers that the company is serious about sustainability, not just rhetoric.
The project provides a strong and scalable use-case for deep industrial decarbonisation with significant potential for replication. Coolbrook and Adani Cement have identified multiple follow-on opportunities for deploying RotoDynamic Technology across Adani Cement’s industrial operations and share an ambition to launch at least five additional projects within the next two years. The mention of “at least five additional projects” is confirmed in sources. Replicability is important: beyond one plant, scaling is key to making meaningful impact at industry level. The more plants adopt the technology, the larger the CO₂ savings and cost improvements.
Going forward, RDH™ technology will play a pivotal role in decarbonising Adani Cement’s production, improve process efficiency, and accelerate the Company’s sustainability goals including improving AFR usage towards 30% and increasing the share of green power to 60% by FY28. The first generation RDH™ will deliver hot gases at around 1000 °C, which will facilitate drying of alternate fuels, making its utilisation greener and more efficient, representing a breakthrough in high-temperature electrification for cement production.
The fact that RDH can deliver very high-temperature gases (up to ~1000 °C and even higher) is key because many alternative fuel drying or pre-heating units require that level of heat. The ability to generate that with electricity is a big advancement.
Efficiency gains via drying alternative fuels (so they have higher heating value and less moisture) indirectly help reduce overall emissions and improve process economics, so this is a smart operational lever.
“Entering into the first industrial-scale project in the world with Adani Cement marks a transformative step for industrial electrification in one of the world’s most vital cement markets,” said Mr Joonas Rauramo, CEO of Coolbrook. “Our mission is to make RotoDynamic Technology a new industry standard for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors. Together, we’re redefining how cement is produced — cleaner, more efficient, and ready for a net-zero future.” Coolbrook emphasizes that cement is a “hard-to-abate” sector and their technology is targeted exactly at those. Statements like this underline the ambition not just to deploy one plant, but to transform the manufacturing paradigm.
Adani Cement’s broader sustainability leadership is reflected in it being among the four large-scale cement companies globally to have SBTi-validated net-zero targets and global collaborations including being the world’s first cement manufacturer to join the Alliance for Industry Decarbonisation (AFID), under International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
While the article mentions “among the four large-scale cement companies globally …”, many industry reports show only a handful of cement makers have fully SBTi-validated net-zero paths, so this gives Adani Cement credibility in the sustainability domain. (Trusted sources mention this claim, though exact list may vary.)
Joining an international alliance like AFID under IRENA emphasises that global collaboration is needed for deep decarbonisation — it is not just a national or company effort, but part of a global ecosystem.
