Kathmandu: In a significant move toward promoting environmental sustainability, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Department of Mines and Geology, the Cement Producers' Association, and the Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA). The MoU aims to pave the way for environmentally friendly cement production in Nepal by monitoring and controlling carbon emissions from cement industries.

The signing ceremony took place on Monday evening, with Director-General of the Department Ram Prasad Ghimire, President of the Cement Producers' Association Dhruba Thapa, and Vice-Chairman of TARA Soumen Maite signing the agreement. The MoU focuses on adopting the limestone calcine soil technology for cement production in Nepal.

According to Director-General Ghimire, using the limestone calcine soil technology can reduce carbon emissions by 40%, leading to a decrease in coal consumption. The Swiss Development Cooperation has supported this technology, which was introduced in Switzerland in 2013 and has now been brought to Nepal. The technology is expected to save a significant amount of money spent on importing coal for cement industries.