Low-carbon cement tipping point: Ambuja Cements partners with Leilac for carbon capture at Indian plant

The cement industry is a major source of global CO2 emissions, but a new partnership between India's Ambuja Cements and UK-based clean tech firm Leilac signals growing momentum for low-carbon production. The demonstration at Ambuja's Sanghi plant will evaluate Leilac's carbon capture and hybrid heating technology, with potential to scale up and capture over 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually. This cross-border collaboration shows that industrial decarbonization is moving from pilot projects toward commercial reality. Cement production is hard to decarbonize because most emissions come from the chemical process itself, not just energy use. That makes carbon capture a critical tool. The Ambuja-Leilac deal is one of several recent moves suggesting the sector may be reaching a tipping point, where technology, policy, and investment align to drive real reductions. For carbon markets and climate finance, this is a space to watch closely.