Energy Conservation Week: Vedanta Aluminium Achieves 1.3 million Giga Joules Energy Savings with Trailblazing Sustainability Initiatives
The company showcases
significant achievements in reducing energy consumption, optimizing processes,
and driving GHG reductions, underscoring its role as a leader in sustainable
industrial practices
Marking Energy Conservation
Week, initiated by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Vedanta Aluminium,
India’s largest producer of aluminium, announced achieving an impressive 1.3
million Giga Joules (GJ) of energy savings through innovative measures aimed at
enhancing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The
company achieved a remarkable 10.16% reduction in GHG intensity against the
2021 baseline, positioning it as a frontrunner in the global effort to reduce
carbon emissions. Further driving its sustainability agenda, the company
announced sourcing 1.3 GW of renewable energy, marking a major step towards a
cleaner, more sustainable operations.
Vedanta Aluminium has
implemented several key initiatives to enhance sustainability and operational
efficiency in its potlines, where molten aluminium is produced from alumina
through electrolysis. These initiatives include installing graphitized cathode
enhancements to reduce current consumption, lower GHG emissions, and improve
operational efficiency. The company has also deployed indigenously-developed
Vedanta pot controllers that reduces energy use by 200–250 kWh per tonne of
aluminium. Moreover, the company has reduced specific coal consumption in its
power plants to cut GHG emissions and enhance power efficiency. By optimizing
smelting processes to promote energy-efficient operations, Vedanta Aluminium is
promoting sustainable industrial practices as part of its broader
sustainability goals.
Commenting on these
activities, Sunil Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “At
Vedanta Aluminium, energy management is central to our net-zero journey.
Innovations like the patented ‘Vedanta Lining Design’ for smelting pots and
expanding renewable energy adoption, we are enhancing our efficiency and
lowering carbon emissions. Ranking 1st in the S&P Global Sustainability
Assessment for the year 2023 reflects our belief that industrial progress must
go hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility. Energy Conservation Week
reaffirms our resolve to pioneer sustainable practices for a greener future.”
At its refinery operations
in Lanjigarh, Odisha, boilers were replaced with advanced graphitized pots to
enhance energy conservation. At its smelter operations in Jharsuguda, Odisha,
the company successfully reduced cathode voltage drop and implemented Voltage
Drop (VLD) measures in pots, improving both performance and energy efficiency.
Similarly, at its BALCO smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh, cathode relining and
graphitization initiatives were executed, significantly boosting energy
efficiency across the facility.
Moreover, to sensitise
employees, Vedanta Aluminium has implemented a comprehensive energy efficiency
training initiative across its operations. By engaging its extensive employee
base through various awareness initiatives, the company seeks to optimize
energy use, while adhering to international standards such as ISO 50001 for
Energy Management.
Vedanta Aluminium, a
business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium,
manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in
FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical
applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P
Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the
aluminium industry. 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.