Shree Cement has inaugurated its new integrated cement plant in Dachepalli village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The plant, which has a cement production capacity of three MTPA, has been built with an investment of over Rs 2,500 crore.

As the company's sixth integrated production facility in India, and second in the southern region after Kodla, Karnataka, the plant is set to take the company's total manufacturing capacity to 56.4 MTPA. The plant is designed to serve the growing markets of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and is expected to generate around 700 opportunities directly, and 1,300 indirectly.

The plant uses advanced technology for manufacturing and controlling emissions, and is designed to utilise 30 percent alternate fuel and raw materials such as municipal waste and biomass, the highest in the Indian cement industry. Innovative features like placing the limestone crusher 40 ft. below ground within the mining pit help reduce diesel usage. The plant meets 75 percent of its power needs through a 12 MW waste heat recovery system and 21.5 MW solar power plant. It operates as a zero-wastage, water positive facility. Air-cooled compressors further reduce water usage.

With the commissioning of the Guntur plant, Shree Cement remains on track to achieve its target of 80 MTPA production capacity by 2028, by when it plans to have 13 more plants operational. The company is known for its industry-leading operational efficiency, cost leadership and sustainability focus as it strives to deliver the most environmentally-friendly building solutions to customers. With a production capacity of over 500 MTPA, the Indian cement industry is highly competitive and dominated by a few major players.

Driven by its core philosophy of 'Build Smart', Shree Cement is firmly on track to be a green building material company, with ramping up of capacity utilisation, and cost efficiency and further stepping up R&D efforts.