The Department of Science and Technology (DST) unveiled a first-of-its-kind cluster of five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds on National Technology Day (11 May 2025).

• These are focused on the Cement Industry, one of India’s hard-to-abate sectors, and mark a major step toward net zero emissions by 2070, in line with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Key Features of the CCU Cement Cluster

• Administered by: DST’s Centre for Energy and Sustainable Technology (CEST).
• PPP Model: DST funds + Industry deployment + Academic R&D = Innovation-to-implementation framework.
• Goals:
  • Develop integrated CO₂ capture + utilization units.
  • Lower cost of Green Cement through local technologies.
  • Enable commercialisation and scale-up for national impact.
• Innovative Process:
  • Oxygen-enhanced calcination: Converts CO₂ to lightweight concrete blocks and olefins.
  • Carbon-negative mineralization: CO₂ is locked into solid minerals (turning emissions into rock). 
  • Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA): Separate CO₂ from kiln gases and reintegration into construction materials.

Significance of the Initiative

• Supports NDC and Net Zero Goals: Facilitates India’s 2070 climate commitments by decarbonising the cement sector, responsible for ~8% of global CO₂ emissions.
• Boosts Domestic Technology: Fosters indigenous CCU solutions for global replication.
• Improves Industry Sustainability: Enables the cement industry to operate with reduced emissions, maintaining growth with environmental accountability.
  • Intended to demonstrate and scale CCU technologies, providing cost-effective, replicable models for other sectors like Steel, Oil & Gas, Power, Chemicals.

Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) vs Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)