Akshay Urja Diwas: Vedanta Aluminium Recognised by CII for Demonstrating Innovation in Energy Efficiency
20th August 2024
- Vedanta’s alumina refinery in Lanjigarh won first prize in the “Best Energy Efficient Designated Consumer” category at the CII National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition 2024
New Delhi, August 20, 2024: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer, has been recognised with several accolades at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition 2024, in recognition of the energy efficient practices deployed at its alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha. The unit has been awarded the first prize in the ‘Best Energy Efficient Designated Consumer (under BEE-PAT scheme)’ category and has also received special appreciation in the categories of ‘Best Energy Efficient Organization (Large Sector)’ and ‘Best Managed Electrical System for Energy Efficiency’. These awards acknowledge Vedanta Aluminium’s keen focus on ensuring responsible business operations.
Vedanta Aluminium’s world-class refinery is tasked with producing high-quality alumina that is further processed into aluminium at its smelters in Jharsuguda, Odisha and Korba, Chhattisgarh. More than 29 energy efficiency projects are currently in progress at the plant, geared towards bolstering Vedanta’s commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.
The projects, which fetched Vedanta Lanjigarh top honours, included an enhancement of its power distribution system for energy savings, improvements in its ‘digestion’ process (where bauxite is mixed with caustic soda) and utilising biomass briquettes in power generation as a renewable fuel source. These projects have significantly enhanced the plant’s operational efficiency while also reducing energy consumption. In FY 2024 alone, Vedanta Lanjigarh’s efforts have resulted in the reduction of more than 69,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Commenting on the recognition, John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, we seek to establish new benchmarks in operational excellence based on sustainable business practices. We thank CII for acknowledging our efforts in this regard. These accolades are an encouraging reflection of our relentless commitment to achieving our Net Zero milestones and setting ever-higher standards in responsible operations.”
Vedanta Lanjigarh has deployed several additional projects to enhance energy efficiency across its operations, including:
- Anti frictional coating in water cooling pumps, which have reduced electrical energy consumption to 469 MWh per annum, GHG savings of 355 tonnes CO2 per annum.
- Improvement in ball mills used to grind bauxite into an even size. With upgrades, their capacity utilization has increased significantly, reducing electrical energy consumption to 2,400 MWh per annum, and leading to GHG savings of 1,702 tonnes CO2 per annum.
- Complete digitization of the plant’s electrical distribution and maintenance system which has enabled advanced monitoring and reporting of energy readings for reducing errors.
The CII National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition seeks to highlight best practices in energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and climate change mitigation across industries. This year, with the theme “Powering the Net Zero Goals”, the competition saw participation from 500+ organizations nationwide. The competitions also recognise efforts undertaken by industries within the ambit of the Government of India’s BEE-PAT scheme which is a regulatory instrument for energy consumption reduction for energy-intensive industries. It is governed under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, a government body that assists in developing policies and strategies to manage energy consumption.
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, a reflection of its leading 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 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 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 information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
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., 2.37 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, a reflection of its leading 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 log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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