GreenJams Launches Cement-Free Precast Construction Platform
A Visakhapatnam-based climate technology company has unveiled a new line of cement-free precast construction products, signalling a potential shift in India’s building materials market away from traditional carbon-intensive cement. The platform, branded Novastone, is designed to eliminate Ordinary Portland Cement from precast applications — a material responsible for a significant share of embodied carbon in buildings — while remaining cost-competitive with conventional concrete offerings.
Cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global CO₂ emissions because of fossil-fuel-intensive kiln operations and raw material transformation. Decarbonising this segment has been a persistent challenge for urban developers and policymakers pursuing climate-aligned infrastructure. Novastone seeks to address this at the material level by deploying advanced mineral-activated systems as a 100% cement-free binder, cutting embodied carbon by up to 80% compared with traditional concrete products.The platform leverages BINDR, the company’s proprietary mineral-activated binder formulated from metallurgical slags and alkali activators. By removing clinker — the most carbon-intensive component of cement — Novastone enables the production of precast elements such as masonry units, pavers, boundary walls, and hollow-core slabs with a significantly lighter climate footprint.
For developers eyeing green building standards, Novastone’s material data is supported by Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) that can substantiate embodied carbon reductions in sustainability frameworks like GRIHA, IGBC and LEED. This has implications for projects seeking ESG-linked financing or compliance with emerging carbon disclosure norms domestically and internationally.Urban planners and building economists say solutions that address embodied carbon — the emissions embedded in material production — are increasingly urgent as India’s cities expand. With residential, commercial and public infrastructure demand projected to grow over the next decade, materials that reduce construction emissions can help cities align growth with climate commitments while lowering operating costs for developers and occupants. Analysts note that such innovations could also ease pressure on energy-intensive clinker production capacity and support circular economy principles by repurposing industrial by-products.
Novastone is already being offered in major urban markets including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Visakhapatnam, with plans to broaden availability. The product’s competitive pricing with conventional precast concrete — reportedly around ₹3,000 per cubic metre — aims to mitigate adoption barriers that often accompany novel sustainable materials.Industry specialists caution that widespread uptake will hinge on performance validation at scale, regulatory alignment with national green building codes, and integration into mainstream supply chains. Precast materials must meet structural safety standards for various load classes before institutional projects adopt them uniformly.
By advancing cement-free methods at scale, manufacturers like GreenJams are challenging a century-old paradigm in construction. The next few years will test whether novel binders and low-carbon precast systems can meaningfully reduce the built environment’s climate impact without compromising durability or increasing costs for builders and end users.
