New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) India and Norway have explored opportunities for joint research and technology development to convert industrial and construction waste into sustainable resources for construction sectors, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with SINTEF and the Research Council of Norway, organised the India-Norway Dialogue on “Waste to Resource Solutions in the Cement and Construction Sector” here, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said.
The event drew representatives from CSIR Institutes, SINTEF, regulatory authorities and the cement and construction industries to explore collaborative approaches for sustainable waste management and resource recovery.
The discussions were held in the backdrop of the Green Strategic Partnership established between India and Norway during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway in May, with circular economy, clean technology and research identified as key areas of cooperation.
Professor R. Pradeep Kumar, Director, CSIR-CBRI, highlighted the transition from a linear to a circular economy and the need to transform construction and industrial waste into valuable resources.
Potential applications of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, steel slag, fly ash, red mud and other industrial residues were discussed, along with challenges related to processing technologies, standardisation, economic viability and market acceptance.
The discussions emphasised strengthening India–Norway cooperation through joint technology-oriented proposals involving CSIR institutes, SINTEF and industry partners, with a focus on translating research outcomes into practical and scalable solutions.
The technical session on “Safe destruction of POPs and hazardous waste” was led by Dr. Kare Helge Karstensen, Chief Scientist, SINTEF and Dr. Ramesh Kumar, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, which explored the potential of cement kiln co-processing for the environmentally sound treatment of suitable hazardous wastes, including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), DDT and PCB-contaminated materials etc.
CSIR-NEERI presented India’s National Implementation Plan in line with India’s Stockholm Convention commitments, the 2025 CDW Rules and related regulations and legacy POPs inventory.
The international experiences presented by SINTEF highlighted the potential of cement kilns to destroy hazardous organic contaminants under controlled high-temperature conditions while substituting conventional fossil fuels with waste-derived alternative fuels. The discussions also emphasised the need for appropriate technical protocols, controlled industrial trials, emission monitoring and regulatory compliance.
—IANS
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