The Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched a significant new initiative to minimize the pollution caused by factories, particularly those in the cement industry. It has sanctioned five special Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement industry. The projects will assist India in achieving its climate objectives and becoming a carbon-neutral nation by 2070.
CCU technology enables the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from factories and converts it into value-added products such as fuels, chemicals, urea, soda ash, food-grade CO2, or construction materials. This is particularly crucial for industries such as cement, steel, power, oil and gas, chemicals, and fertilizers, which are hard to clean up.
The cement sector is a key contributor to Indian growth, but also causes a lot of CO2 emissions. The new CCU testbeds will assist in discovering means to reduce such emissions while maintaining the factories operating efficiently. DST is promoting research and innovation for discovery of more affordable and improved methods of employing CCU in these sectors.
In order to make it a reality, DST invited university and company teams to collaborate under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) system. This implies that the government, laboratories, and private firms are all pulling together. There will be five testbeds where each of them will deal with a different technology, such as special materials, new machines, or methods of gas separation.
The news was announced on National Technology Day, May 11, 2025, at a function held in New Delhi. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh presented the grants to the testbed teams. Other significant officials such as Prof. Abhay Karandikar (DST Secretary), Dr. Rajesh Gokhale (DBT Secretary), and Dr. Ajai Choudhary (HCL Co-Founder) were also present.
These experiments are not research-based—these are actual trials involving the best scientists and giant cement corporations. The aim is to create low-cost, environmentally friendly technologies that can be applied on a large scale in the future. This can assist India in making Green Cement and minimize its carbon footprint in a sustainable manner.
