UltraTech Cement has commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, the company announced on 5 October 2026. The addition takes its installed green energy capacity to 2,024 MW, which the company says makes it the first cement maker in India to pass 2 GW of green energy for its own use.
The Barmer project is connected to the inter-state transmission system (ISTS), the grid network that carries power across state lines. According to pv magazine India, the wind capacity is meant for self-consumption, which is what “captive” use means here.
The numbers, in plain terms
The company also commissioned 10 MW of waste heat recovery (WHRS) capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka. WHRS units capture heat that cement kilns would otherwise release and turn it into electricity.
The 2,024 MW total includes 1,580 MW from renewable sources and 444 MW from WHRS. Together they meet roughly 48% of the company’s current power needs. In other words, a little under half of the electricity used across its plants now comes from these sources. Capacity is the maximum a plant can generate. Actual output depends on wind, sunshine and heat availability.
The company commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of its 76 manufacturing units in India have used green energy for more than 50% of their electricity, with five units above 95%.
What this means for India
Cement is one of India’s most energy-intensive industries, so how its plants source electricity matters for national decarbonisation. Rajasthan’s wind and solar resources are supplying a manufacturer whose plants are elsewhere, through the inter-state grid. UltraTech says it has not added new captive thermal power capacity for over a decade. The company’s 85% green power goal for 2030 will show how far large Indian manufacturers can cut grid and coal dependence.
Storage and what comes next
Round-the-clock supply is the harder part of industrial renewable use. UltraTech says it is progressively integrating battery energy storage systems to improve renewable energy use and supply reliability. In 2025 it began operating what it calls India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable project, combining solar, wind and battery storage, at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat.
Looking ahead, the company aims to lift green energy to 85% of its power mix by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting all its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2050. Moving from 48% to 85% in four years will need substantial further capacity and storage.
Managing Director K C Jhanwar described the milestone as the result of a strategy pursued consistently over the past decade. The “first in the cement sector” claim comes from the company’s own announcement, and the sources do not give an independent comparison with other cement makers.
Sources
- UltraTech Cement Exceeds 2 GW Green Energy Capacity, Adds 116.55 MW Wind And 10 MW Waste Heat Recovery
- UltraTech Cement surpasses 2 GW of green energy capacity for captive use – pv magazine India
- UltraTech becomes first cement company in India to surpass 2 gigawatts of green energy capacity for captive use
- UltraTech becomes first cement company in India to surpass 2 gigawatts of green energy capacity for captive use – Press Network of India
- UltraTech Crosses 2 GW of Green Energy Capacity for Captive Use
- UltraTech surpasses 2GW of captive green power capacity
- UltraTech Cement Share Price in Focus (Angel One)
