Sagar Cements Limited has entered a ten-year strategic partnership with climate technology specialist Sow & Reap Chara to deploy biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More and gasificationGasification is a high-temperature, thermochemical process that converts carbon-based materials into a gaseous fuel called syngas and solid by-products. It takes place in an oxygen-deficient environment at temperatures typically above 750°C. Unlike combustion, which fully burns material to produce heat and carbon dioxide (CO2​), gasification More units at its Mattampally facility in Telangana, India. This initiative seeks to decarbonize cement production—a traditionally hard-to-abate sector—by integrating biomass-derived syngasSyngas, or synthesis gas, is a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. It is produced during gasification and can be used as a fuel source or as a feedstock for producing other chemicals and fuels.   More into the manufacturing process. The project involves the installation of gasification units designed to convert locally sourced agricultural residues into energy, while simultaneously producing biochar as a carbon-rich byproduct for agricultural application.

The primary challenge addressed by this partnership is the heavy reliance on fossil fuels for high-heat industrial processes and the associated Scope 1 emissions in cement manufacturing. Additionally, the region faces persistent environmental issues from seasonal crop residue burning, which contributes significantly to air pollution. Industrial stakeholders require scalable mechanisms to meet net-zero targets by 2030 without compromising manufacturing output or escalating costs through traditional carbon mitigation strategies.

In response, the collaboration utilizes a gasification solution where four initial units will process approximately 15,000 tonnes of biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More annually per unit. This process generates syngas to replace fossil fuels in generating process heat for clinker production. The resulting biochar is then channeled back into rural markets as a soil amendmentA soil amendment is any material added to the soil to enhance its physical or chemical properties, improving its suitability for plant growth. Biochar is considered a soil amendment as it can improve soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity.   More, effectively stabilizing carbon and preventing the emissions that would otherwise result from biomass decomposition or open-field burning.

The anticipated outcomes include a reduction of an estimated 8,000 tonnes of CO₂ per gasification unit, totaling 25,000 tonnes of annual emission offsets at the Mattampally site alone during the first phase. Beyond direct industrial decarbonization, the production of 3,750 tonnes of biochar per unit supports regional climate resilience by enhancing soil health and providing a source of negative emissions. The project also creates a secondary revenue stream through carbon credit issuance, offering a reproducible model for circular carbon economies within the global cement industry.