Sagar Cements to cut emissions with help of Sow & Reap Chara

Hyderabad-headquartered climate technology company Sow & Reap Chara has signed a 10-year agreement with Sagar Cements to set up biochar and biomass gasification facilities aimed at reducing emissions from cement manufacturing.

The project will be implemented at Sagar Cements’ Mattampally plant in Telangana. Under the partnership, agricultural residues—primarily cotton crop waste that is typically burned after harvest—will be converted into syngas and biochar. The biomass will be sourced from villages within a 20-kilometre radius of the plant.

The syngas will replace a portion of conventional fossil fuels used in cement production, while the biochar will be returned to local farmers for use as soil-enhancing manure.

Sow & Reap Chara founder and CEO Suraj Teja stated that the collaboration demonstrates how climate-focused innovations can be integrated into heavy industries, helping lower emissions while generating additional income and soil benefits for farming communities.

Sow & Reap Chara plans to install 20 gasification units at the site, with four units to be commissioned in the first phase, expected to begin operations in March.

Each gasification unit involves an investment of around Rs 14 crore and has the capacity to process 15,000 tonnes of biomass annually, producing about 3,750 tonnes of biochar. One unit alone can help reduce nearly 8,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The resulting emission reductions will be monetised through carbon credits, which can be purchased by companies seeking to offset their emissions. Once all 20 units are operational, the project is expected to generate around 160,000 carbon credits annually, targeting nearly one million credits over the next five years.

The model is also planned to be replicated across other Sagar Cements plants and subsidiaries nationwide.

Sagar Cements Joint Managing Director S. Sreekanth Reddy said the company is supporting innovative solutions that reduce its environmental footprint while delivering broader societal benefits.