Shree Cement has inaugurated its new 3Mta cement plant in Guntur, India. Commissioned six months ahead of schedule, the new facility marks an investment of over INR25,000m (US$300m), reports The New Indian Express. Located in Dachepalli village, Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, the new plant is Shree’s sixth integrated plant in India and its second in the south of the counrry after its 4Mta works in Kodla, Karnataka. The cement producer's total production capacity now stands at 56.4Mta.
The new works has been designed to use 30 per cent alternative fuel and raw materials, and boasts innovative features such as the limestone crusher being located 12m below ground within the mining pit to lower the use of diesel. A 12MW waste heat recovery system and 21.5MW solar power plant will provide 75 per cent of the new plant’s power needs, according to the company. Air-cooled compressors also reduce its water usage.
