India’s ACC plans to substitute five per cent of its annual coal requirement of about 5Mt over the next three years with waste generated by cities and industries. 



The company aims to save INR60 crore in 2011 by burning waste, primarily plastics, at its plants.



"We are currently working on disposal of city wastes. We are segregating the plastic wastes and then use it in our kiln. Plastic has higher calorific value, which is heat content, than coal," ACC Director (Energy and Environment) KN Rao, said. 



Mr Rao was speaking after receiving an award for ACC’s adoption of environment-saving and energy efficiency measures at the 4th Global Initiative for Restructuring Environment and Management (GIREM).

"We have replaced two per cent of our coal requirement by disposing and burning all types of wastes. Our target is to replace five per cent of our total coal requirement in the next three years," Mr Rao added.

The company is currently implementing two waste management pilot projects for use as fuel at Kullu, in Himachal Pradesh, and Katni, in Madhya Pradesh. 

"We will start another project at Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu... We are expecting to save INR60 crore this year, as against INR47 crore last year," Mr Rao noted.