Ahmedabad, July 5 (IANS) In a significant step for green infrastructure, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Saturday said it has inaugurated the world’s first steel slag road at any port, setting a new global benchmark in circular economy-led development.

Spanning 1.1 kilometres within Hazira Port in Surat, this sustainable road connects the Multi-Purpose Berth (MPB-1) to the coal yard. This marks India’s third steel slag road, but the first-ever constructed inside a private port globally, placing India and APSEZ at the forefront of sustainable maritime infrastructure.

It utilises processed steel slag aggregates – a by-product of steel manufacturing – demonstrating how industrial waste can be repurposed into high-performance, durable infrastructure, according to company officials.

The project was developed as part of Phase II of the Bulk and General Cargo Terminal (BGCT) expansion in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

The road’s flexible pavement design, curated by CSIR-CRRI, enhances load-bearing capacity and longevity while cutting down on construction costs and environmental impact. The initiative aligns with the Waste to Wealth mission and reinforces APSEZ’s commitment to environmentally conscious port development.

The road was formally inaugurated at Hazira Port by Vijay Kumar Saraswat, Member (Science and Technology), NITI Aayog, in the presence of N. Kalaiselvi, Director-General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, and Manoranjan Parida, Director, CSIR-CRRI and President, Indian Roads Congress.

Also present were Satish Pandey, Senior Principal Scientist and inventor of steel slag road technology, Anand Marathe, COO, Adani Hazira Port Ltd., and other dignitaries and scientists, according to a company statement.

“With this initiative, APSEZ continues to lead the transformation of India’s logistics sector, blending innovation, industrial ecology, and infrastructure resilience in service of national growth,” the company added.

–IANS

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