On the occasion of World
Environment Day, Vedanta Aluminium, the largest aluminium producer in India,
has announced receiving the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
International verification for its range of products, among the largest in the
global aluminium industry. Undergoing a rigorous Life Cycle Assessment (LCA),
Vedanta’s primary aluminium products performed well on the parameters of energy
consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and waste generation. This
stands testimony to the company’s advanced manufacturing practices and green
innovations towards ensuring sustainability across the aluminium value chain.
An Environmental Product
Declaration (EPD) is a standardized and internationally recognized document
that provides transparent and scientifically verified information about the
environmental performance of a product. It is based on a thorough Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) and provides data on a product's environmental impact
throughout its life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing,
use, and end-of-life disposal.
The primary aluminium
products produced by Vedanta Aluminium and verified by EPD include billets,
Primary Foundry Alloy (PFA), wire rods and all categories of ingots. Together,
these products find high-end applications in critical sectors like aerospace,
infrastructure, automotive, electrical, and packaging, as well as sunrise
sectors such as hi-tech manufacturing, renewable energy, battery technologies,
electric vehicles, and more. Interestingly, this year’s global theme for World
Environment Day is #BeatPlasticPollution. Aluminium, with its inherent
properties of good strength, light weight, corrosion-resistance and infinite
recyclability, presents itself as a viable alternative to plastic.
Commenting on the
certification, Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO,
Vedanta Ltd – Aluminium Business, said “In a world rapidly transitioning to
more sustainable approaches, the aluminium industry is poised for remarkable
growth and innovation. As the backbone of a low-carbon future, aluminium's
exceptional properties hold immense potential for the energy transition, with
Vedanta Aluminium as a key facilitator. The Environmental Product Declaration
is a testament to our dedication to engineering sustainable products for our customers
around the world. We always strive to develop innovative and environmentally
conscious business practices, demonstrating our commitment to creating a
sustainable future.”
The EPD can be accessed
here: https://www.environdec.com/library/epd6491
The company is India’s
first to launch its low-carbon, ‘green’ aluminium range, branded ‘Restora’,
catering to the emerging demand for metals with a low carbon footprint. Vedanta
Aluminium is also the first in the Indian aluminium industry to secure available
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certifications for its large range of
aluminium products. This consistent focus on quality has allowed the company to
cater to the needs of customers across 50 countries, who are actively looking
to reduce their carbon footprint and are also interested in the provenance of
the raw materials they use.
Testimony to such
endeavours, Vedanta Aluminium ranked 2nd in the S&P Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (DJSI) world rankings for the aluminium industry in FY22,
making it the second most sustainable aluminium producer in the world today.
Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals and committed to turning carbon
neutral by 2050, Vedanta Aluminium is dedicated to making a positive
environmental impact by revolutionizing its manufacturing processes.
Vedanta Aluminium has
achieved several milestones in its continuous journey to augment environmental
management practices across its operations:
• Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 24% in FY
2022, from the 2012 baseline while increasing production by eight times over
the same period
• Recycled 13.69 billion litres of water and conserved more
than 1.51 billion litres of water in FY23, in the journey towards
water-positive operations
• Supplied more than 100% of fly ash, a high-volume industrial
by-product generated during thermal power production, to allied industries in
cement, infrastructure development etc, promoting the establishment of a
circular economy within the Indian industrial landscape
• Successfully conserved over 1.36 million GJ (gigajoules) of
energy in FY23
• Commissioned India’s largest fleet of lithium-ion
battery-powered EV forklifts
• Established a Material Recovery Facility, a specialised plant
to segregate and process waste into useful materials, at its mega aluminium
smelter in Jharsuguda
• Partnered with leading environment conservation firm ERM, to
bolster its biodiversity management plan around its operational areas
• Deployed robust Environment Management Systems (EMS) adhering
to ISO 14001:2015 across all of Vedanta Aluminium’s business units
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. www.vedantaaluminium.com
