Noida International Airport Breaks New Ground In Eco-friendly Construction By Incorporating Limestone Calcined Clay Cement Into India’s First Large-scale Sustainable Infrastructure Project

Published on September 26, 2025

Noida International Airport (NIA), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, has taken a bold measurement toward sustainable infrastructure successful India by becoming nan country’s first large-scale task to incorporated Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) into its construction. This move signifies a groundbreaking displacement successful nan building materials industry, making NIA a trailblazer successful adopting lower-carbon alternatives. The take of LC3 positions Noida International Airport arsenic a important milestone successful India’s travel towards greener, much energy-efficient infrastructure development.

This accomplishment was officially recognized astatine a ceremonial held astatine nan airdrome site, which was attended by high-ranking officials, including leaders from nan Embassy of Switzerland successful India and salient representatives from India’s cement industry. Their beingness underscored a shared committedness to biology sustainability and nan important domiciled that nan building assemblage plays successful addressing nan ambiance crisis. The collaboration betwixt Indian manufacture leaders and world experts demonstrates nan imaginable of cross-border partnerships to beforehand sustainable practices successful awesome infrastructure projects.

The Revolution of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3)

Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) is simply a revolutionary, low-carbon replacement to accepted Portland cement, which is notorious for its precocious c footprint. Developed done an extended decade-long world collaboration (2013–2023), LC3 is nan merchandise of concerted efforts from respective esteemed institutions and organizations, including nan Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIT Madras, nan Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), nan École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) successful Switzerland, Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA), and Universidad de las Villas (UCLV) successful Cuba. The extremity of this collaboration was to find an eco-friendly solution that would not only trim nan c footprint of cement accumulation but besides beryllium economically viable.

Nicolas Schenk, Chief Development Officer astatine Noida International Airport, stated, “At Noida International Airport, we are committed to building a world-class installation pinch sustainability astatine its core. We are proud to beryllium nan first large-scale task successful India to build pinch LC3. Our usage of this innovative cement showcases really awesome infrastructure projects tin lead nan alteration and group a caller modular for nan early of building successful nan country.” 

Key Benefits of LC3

1. Lower Carbon Footprint: One of nan astir important advantages of LC3 is its expertise to trim CO2 emissions by up to 40% erstwhile compared to accepted Portland cement. Cement accumulation is 1 of nan largest contributors to world c emissions, and this simplification is important successful nan conflict against ambiance change. By utilizing LC3, NIA is starring nan measurement successful adopting building materials that align pinch world biology goals.
2. Cost-Effectiveness: LC3 is astir 25% much cost-effective to nutrient than accepted cement. This makes it an charismatic action not only from an biology position but besides from a financial standpoint. For large-scale infrastructure projects for illustration NIA, utilizing LC3 tin consequence successful important savings, yet contributing to nan cost-effectiveness of nan full project.
3. Resource Efficiency: LC3 is made from a operation of limestone and clays, materials that are abundant and low-grade. This reduces nan request for high-quality earthy materials and supports sustainable assets use. The readiness of these materials ensures that LC3 tin beryllium produced locally, further lowering proscription costs and c emissions associated pinch worldly procurement.
4. Energy Efficiency: Producing LC3 requires a little calcination somesthesia of 800°C, compared to nan 1450°C required for accepted Portland cement. This simplification successful somesthesia leads to important power savings, making nan accumulation of LC3 much businesslike and reducing nan wide power depletion of cement manufacturing.
5. Superior Performance: Despite its little c footprint, LC3 does not discuss connected nan spot aliases durability of nan last product. It has been shown to connection properties that are comparable to aliases moreover superior to accepted cement. This makes LC3 a reliable prime for high-performance infrastructure projects for illustration airports, wherever information and longevity are paramount.

The Role of India’s Cement Industry successful Promoting LC3

The take of LC3 astatine Noida International Airport marks a important achievement, but it is portion of a broader activity successful India’s cement manufacture toward much sustainable practices. Several starring Indian cement manufacturers, including JK Cement, JK Lakshmi Cement, UltraTech Cement, Dalmia Bharat Cement, and Shree Cements, person already announced commercialized accumulation of LC3. These companies are not only paving nan measurement for cleaner, much sustainable cement accumulation but are besides helping India to go a world leader successful nan usage of low-carbon building materials.

India is nan world’s second-largest cement market, and nan country’s building manufacture plays a important domiciled successful its economical growth. By adopting LC3 connected a ample scale, India is positioning itself astatine nan forefront of a world activity toward cleaner, much responsible construction. This is particularly important successful a state wherever infrastructure improvement is booming, and nan biology effect of building materials is simply a increasing concern.

Philippe Sas, Head of International Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland successful India and Bhutan highlighted, “As portion of nan Swiss-Indian biology collaboration, nan improvement of LC3 stands arsenic a landmark accomplishment for nan practice betwixt scientists and experts from Switzerland, India and Cuba. LC3 represents a breakthrough wrong nan building assemblage pinch a precocious impact. It paves nan measurement for its commercialized accumulation and large-scale usage successful India and different regions globally. The Embassy of Switzerland successful India remains firmly committed to advancing sustainability and resilience successful India, pinch a peculiar attraction connected nan sustainable building and building sector.” 

Implications for Sustainable Infrastructure successful India

Noida International Airport’s take of LC3 serves arsenic an inspiring illustration for different infrastructure projects successful India and beyond. The successful incorporation of this low-carbon cement not only contributes to reducing nan biology effect of nan building manufacture but besides demonstrates nan viability of sustainable practices successful large-scale projects. This inaugural is simply a testament to nan increasing committedness wrong India’s backstage assemblage to clasp greenish technologies and trim nan c footprint of awesome infrastructure projects.

As ambiance alteration continues to beryllium a pressing world issue, nan building manufacture must return work for its biology impact. Noida International Airport’s determination to usage LC3 is simply a pivotal measurement toward a much sustainable future. By incorporating innovative, environmentally friends materials into its development, NIA is starring nan measurement successful showing really ample infrastructure projects tin beryllium developed without sacrificing biology integrity.

Noida International Airport’s take of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) marks a monumental infinitesimal successful India’s sustainable infrastructure journey. By integrating this low-carbon building material, nan airdrome is not only reducing its biology footprint but besides mounting an illustration for early infrastructure projects crossed nan state and nan world. With nan support of starring cement manufacturers and continued collaboration pinch world experts, India is good connected its measurement to becoming a world leader successful sustainable construction. Through specified initiatives, nan building manufacture tin lend importantly to a greener, much sustainable future.