Vedanta Aluminium expands India’s largest fleet of electric forklifts, bolstering sustainable operations

2024-04-27 05:53:12 Industry

1074

New Delhi; 6th July 2023: Vedanta Aluminium, India's largest producer of aluminium, now hosts India's largest fleet of electric lithium-ion forklifts, with a total of 44 units now deployed across its operations in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The company has also recently commissioned India's first 10-ton electric lithium-ion forklift at its mega aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, Odisha. In addition, it has also inducted 3-ton and 5-ton electric forklifts for the first time ever at its world-class alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha and also at its subsidiary BALCO, India's iconic aluminium producer based at Korba, Chhattisgarh.

This move greatly bolsters the sustainable nature of Vedanta Aluminium's operations. Undertaken in collaboration with GEAR (Gemini Equipment and Rentals Private Limited) India and TARON Lift & Move, it comes as a significant step forward by Vedanta Aluminium towards decarbonizing its industrial vehicle fleet. With their faster and safer battery charging capabilities, these forklifts revolutionize operational efficiency while making substantial contributions to reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption, ultimately contributing to Vedanta Aluminium's goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The introduction of electric lithium-ion forklifts helps mitigate the company's carbon footprint significantly, through:

A potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. The 10-ton forklift alone decreases emissions up to 85 tonnes of CO2 per year/vehicle per annum
Substantial reduction in diesel consumption, with estimated savings of over 5.1 lakh litres per year

The company has also committed to decarbonizing 100% of its Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) fleet by 2030 and 75% of its mining fleet by 2035. In FY23, Vedanta Aluminium emerged as a pioneer for the domestic manufacturing industry by inducting 27 forklifts at its plant in Jharsuguda, among the largest aluminium smelters in the world. This emerged as the largest EV forklift fleet in the country at the time, and the company has further expanded the fleet size across all its plants to 44 units this year, greatly encouraged by the significant decarbonization benefits accrued as a result of the first fleet. This effort stands testimony to our constant endeavour to evaluate and deploy emerging technologies towards decarbonising our operations.

To ensure enhanced safety and efficiency in operations, these forklifts are enabled with an IOT-based 'Smart Fleet Management' system. This cutting-edge technology allows for the real-time monitoring of forklift performance, enabling predictive maintenance and ensuring the highest safety standards on-site. Further, they are equipped with forward and reverse cameras ensuring complete visibility to the operators, red-zone light and blue spotlights that create a safe operating zone around the forklift, as well as an automatic deceleration mechanism while turning, for enhanced safety. To further its efforts towards increasing gender diversity in core manufacturing operations, the company is also training women and transgender professionals as experts in operating these top-of-the-line forklifts.

Sharing the significance of this development, Mr. Sunil Gupta, COO, Vedanta Ltd.- Aluminium Business, said "At Vedanta Aluminium, we continue to explore and implement innovative practices to enhance our sustainability performance while also producing the best quality of aluminium. We are dedicated to the mission of promoting ESG excellence, which forms the foundation of all our business endeavours. Our partnerships with leading technological providers have enabled us to pioneer sustainable material handling practices in the industry. The commissioning of India's first 10-ton electric lithium-ion forklift comes as a reaffirmation of our commitment to accelerating the transition to a Net Zero future."

Mr. Varun Chopra, Executive Chairman, GEAR India, expressing his views on the partnership with Vedanta Aluminium, said, "We are delighted to partner with Vedanta Aluminium in their sustainability journey. GEAR, a leader in sustainable material handling solutions is proud to be a partner in Vedanta Aluminium's decarbonisation journey. The commissioning of India's first 10-ton electric lithium-ion forklift, part of the 41 units of Zero Emission Lithium-ion Forklifts that we have deployed at Vedanta Jharsuguda and BALCO is a remarkable achievement. It highlights our shared commitment to advancing clean and efficient electric mobility and material handling solutions."

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India's largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India's aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the 'Metal of the Future' for a greener tomorrow.

About Vedanta Aluminium Business:

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India's largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India's aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2022 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the 'Metal of the Future' for a greener tomorrow. For more information, please visit: www.vedantaaluminium.com

About Vedanta Limited:

Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world's leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company's flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta's social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. For more