Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers cements its diversification plans

18 August 2007

Chennai: The Rs854.84-crore turnover Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) has been busy making money from "muck". In the '80s it proved sceptics wrong by successfully manufacturing paper out of bagasse, a sugar industry waste. (See: The gamble that paid off well)

Now the paper maker plans to make cement from the 350-tonne per day of waste wet lime sludge that it generates everyday from its paper manufacturing operations and the 100 tpd of fly ash generated at its thermal power boilers.

When the Rs50 crore, 400 tpd mini cement plant goes on stream in March 2009, TNPL will have become the first Indian paper manufacturer to make cement out of its own factory and power plant wastes.

The Rs69.38-crore equity paper maker has appointed Tafecon, Chennai, as the consultant for the project. According to officials the company will meet the cost with a mix of internal accruals (Rs10 crore) and term loans to the tune of Rs40 crore.