Ramco Cements – Reaching New Heights

The Ramco Cements Limited is set to surpass 20 MTPA cement capacity in 2020

The Ramco Cements Limited (‘the Company’) which currently has a cement capacity of 16.69 MTPA is in the process of adding new cement capacity of 6.15 MTPA which will increase its aggregate cement capacity to 22.84 MTPA by the year 2020. Further its brand Ramco enjoys the status of being the largest brand in the Southern Region besides being increasingly popular in the eastern markets. The company has railway siding facilities in all its plants, captive thermal power capacity of 175 MW and wind power capacity of 165.79 MW.

Cement plants
At present, the company has ten cement plants in operation, comprising five integrated cement plants and five grinding units, with an aggregate clinker capacity of 10.11 MTPA and cement capacity of 16.69 MTPA. Its cement plants are located mainly in four States, namely: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

In addition, the company’s four integrated cement plants are well equipped with railway siding facilities and coal based captive thermal power plants with an aggregate capacity of 175 MW. It also has 165.79 MW wind power capacity including its wind farm owned by its subsidiary company, Ramco Windfarms Limited.

Captive power plants
To ensure uninterrupted power supply at an economical price, the Company has installed captive power plants (CPPs) at its four integrated cement plants which have a total power generation capacity of 175 MW.

The company installed its first CPP at Alathiyur Cement Plant with a capacity of 36 MW (2×18 MW) in 2005. Later in 2017, a new capacity of 6 MW was added increasing the total CPP capacity of Alathiyur Plant to 42 MW.

In the year of 2007-08, the company had installed its second CPP with a capacity of 36 MW at its Jayanthipuram Cement Plant. Further, in December 20017, a new capacity of 6 MW was added which has increased its CPP capacity to 42 MW.

At Ariyalur Cement Plant, the company had set up two CPPs with a combined capacity of 60 MW. The first CPP with a capacity of 40 MW was commissioned in 2010-11 while the second in 2012-13 with 20 MW. Further in 2015-16, a new 6 MW capacity was added, and with this, Ariyalur’s total CPP capacity has increased to 66 MW.

In 2012-13, the company had set up a 25 MW CPP at Ramasamy Raja Nagar Cement Plant.

Grinding units
To economise the transportation costs and to service the markets better, the Company opted for grinding units near fly ash availability areas or closer to major cement consumption areas. The company has set up five grinding units with an aggregate capacity of 4.20 MTPA.

Of the five grinding units, two are located in Tamilnadu, one near Chengalpet in Uthiramerur taluk in Kancheepuram district and other at Singipuram village, Valapadi taluk, Salem district. Both these units were commissioned in 2009, each with a capacity of 0.50 MTPA. Later in 2012, the Salem unit’s capacity was increased to 1.6 MTPA. At present, the Chengalpet Grinding Unit and Salem Grinding Unit have a capacity of 0.50 MTPA and 1.60 MTPA, respectively.

The Company’s third grinding unit is located at Kolaghat in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal. It was commissioned in January 2010 with a capacity of 0.95 MTPA. After that, the Company has set up its fourth grinding unit off the NH 5, which is located in between Yellamanchilli and Anakapally, near Visakhapatnam.

Commissioned in March 2015, the Visakhapatnam Grinding Unit has a capacity of 0.95 MTPA. It is in the close proximity of the Vizag Steel Plant, Vizag Port, Gangavaram Port and NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Power Plant.

In March 2018 the company acquired a cement grinding unit from its Group company viz., Ramco Industries Limited which has now became, its fifth grinding unit and second in West Bengal. Located at Kharagpur, this grinding unit was commissioned in 2006. Currently it has a cement capacity of 0.20 MTPA.

Wind energy
The Company entered into wind energy sector by installing its first windmill in the year 1993. Initially the company set up 4 MW capacity (16 x 250 kW) wind farm at Muppandal in Tamil Nadu. Encouraged by the success, the company gradually increased its total wind power capacity to 153.19 MW in Tamil Nadu by locating the windmills at Muppandal, Oothumalai and Poolavadi.

The company has also set up a 6 MW wind farm in Karnataka during the period 2004- 2006, to meet the energy needs of its Mathodu Cement Plant. With this, the company’s total wind electric generators (WEGs) are increased to 229 and the wind power capacity to 159.19 MW.

In the year 2017-18, the company’s subsidiary – Ramco Windfarms Limited has generated 436 lakh units of power as compare to 451 lakh units of power in the previous year. The revenue and profit of the subsidiary company was `17.45 crore and `4.54 crore compare to `17.81 crore and `4.35 crore respectively of the previous year.

Solar power
The Company is gradually entering into solar power too. At present, the company has 7 KW solar power at its Alathiyur Plant in Tamilnadu and 160 W at Mathodu plant in Karnataka.

Ramco R&D centre
The Company is one of the few cement companies, which have their own R&D Unit, known as Ramco Research Development Centre (RRDC). Located in Chennai, RRDC conducts tests in cement and concrete. The RRDC is responsible for finding the suitability of waste/reject material used in the cement industry and contributing substantially for sustainable development. Apart from routine tests, RRDC is involved in finding solutions to concrete challenges faced by various customers and projects.

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