Vedanta Aluminium Commissions India’s Largest Fleet of Electric Lithium-Ion Forklifts
1st June 2022
- 27 lithium-ion battery-powered electric forklifts deployed at Vedanta’s Aluminium Smelter at Jharsuguda (Odisha), in partnership with GEAR India
- IOT (Internet of Things)-based Smart Fleet Management system for enhanced safety at site
- Potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of ~690 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually
New Delhi; 1st June, 2022: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has commissioned India’s largest electric fleet of 27 forklifts, powered by lithium-ion batteries. Done in partnership with GEAR (Gemini Equipment and Rentals Private Limited) India, this sets the ball rolling on Vedanta Aluminium’s plans to decarbonize its industrial vehicle fleet. All 27 forklifts arrived last month and are being operationalised at the company’s aluminium smelter at Jharsuguda, in Odisha, which is the world’s largest single-location aluminium smelter, ex-China.
Further, as testimony to its endeavours towards increasing gender diversity in core manufacturing operations, Vedanta Aluminium is recruiting and training women to operate these top-of-the-line forklifts. The company has previously hired transgender employees as forklift operators in its aluminium operations at BALCO in Chhattisgarh.
These electric forklifts make use of the cutting-edge ‘Smart Fleet Management’ system to help ensure the highest levels of safety at site. The Smart Fleet Management system uses IOT (Internet of Things) technology to integrate the data collected by intelligent terminals and provide Vedanta Aluminium insights on a real-time basis with respect to forklift speed, access to operate, collision avoidance, optimization analysis for operational efficiency and equipment maintenance, among others. Further, these electric forklifts 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 automatic deceleration mechanism while turning, for enhanced safety.
Many other advantages of this ‘green fleet’ include:
- Reduction in diesel consumption by more than 2.5 lakh litres annually
- GHG (greenhouse gas) emission savings of nearly 690 tonnes of CO2 equivalent
- Increase in productivity of operations through longer working cycles via rapid charging
- No hassles of frequent battery change, a substantially longer life than conventional lead-acid batteries, virtually maintenance-free, as they are completely sealed
Speaking about the deployment of India’s largest lithium-ion forklift fleet, Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Limited, said, “Vedanta, as India’s largest producer of aluminium, is committed to our dual objective of producing the best quality of aluminium for our customers while ensuring sustainable development of our business. Excellence in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance forms the bedrock upon which we evolve our business plans. In line with our commitment of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050, our partnership with GEAR to deploy one of India’s largest and most technologically advanced electric forklift fleets, is a strong step in our journey of decarbonizing our industrial vehicle fleet. We are also leveraging this avenue to increase women’s participation in core operations by training women drivers to operate these smart forklifts.”
Mr. Varun Chopra, Executive Chairman of GEAR India, added, “Vedanta Aluminium’s pioneering endeavour to commission India’s largest fleet of technologically advanced forklifts undoubtedly serves as an inspiration for the Indian manufacturing industry to explore emerging technology solutions for achieving their sustainable development and Net Zero goals. GEAR, India’s leading Material Handling Equipment (MHE) organisation, is proud to partner Vedanta Aluminium in their decarbonization journey.”
GEAR prides itself on providing efficient and cost effective MHE Rental and Sale solutions for tasks such as stacking, lifting and moving, facilitating its customers to focus singularly on their core business for better productivity. Enabling customers in their evolving ESG journey is a key focus area for GEAR.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.26 million tonnes in FY22. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 4th in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2021 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
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., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. 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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