With a carbon footprint up to 40 per cent lower than conventional Portland cement, and 25 per cent more cost-effective to produce, the limestone calcined clay cement signals a decisive shift toward sustainable, scalable construction.
Noida International Airport (NIA), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, has become India’s first large-scale infrastructure project to adopt limestone calcined clay cement (LC3), a next-generation low-carbon building material. This marks a significant milestone in sustainable construction, positioning NIA as a pioneer in climate-conscious infrastructure development.
LC3 is the result of a decade-long international collaboration involving experts from the Indian Institutes of Technology in Delhi and Madras, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), and Universidad de las Villas (UCLV), Cuba.
The cement offers a carbon footprint up to 40 per cent lower than conventional Portland cement, while being 25 per cent more cost-effective to produce. It leverages abundant low-grade limestone and clay, and requires a calcination temperature of just 800°C, compared to 1450°C for traditional cement, making it significantly more energy-efficient.
Importantly, LC3 matches or exceeds the performance of conventional cement, making it a viable alternative for mainstream infrastructure applications.
The milestone was commemorated at the NIA site in the presence of senior representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland in India and leaders from India’s cement industry—underscoring a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and technological innovation.
“At Noida International Airport, we are committed to building a world-class facility with sustainability at its core,” said Nicolas Schenk, Chief Development Officer, NIA. “Our use of LC3 showcases how major infrastructure projects can lead the change and set new benchmarks for the future of construction in India.”
Philippe Sas, Head of International Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in India and Bhutan, added, “LC3 is a landmark achievement in Swiss-Indian environmental collaboration. It represents a breakthrough in the construction sector and paves the way for large-scale adoption in India and globally.”
Leading Indian cement manufacturers, including JK Cement, JK Lakshmi Cement, UltraTech Cement, Dalmia Bharat Cement, and Shree Cement, have announced commercial production of LC3. This signals a shift toward cleaner growth in the world’s second-largest cement market.
Scheduled to open on October 30, Noida International Airport is designed as a mega-aviation hub that will connect the Delhi-NCR and Western Uttar Pradesh to domestic and international destinations.