Vedanta Aluminium to collaborate with construction industry for fly-ash and bauxite-residue utilization
11th February 2022
- Seeks interest for setting up cement manufacturing units near its plants
New Delhi, 11th February 2022: Vedanta Aluminium Business, India’s largest producer of the aluminium and value-added products, will collaborate with cement, construction and infrastructure industries for gainful utilization of its by-products fly-ash (a by-product in thermal power generation) and bauxite-residue (a by-product of producing alumina from bauxite).
At a national-level webinar held today with global experts and participants from the cement industry, the company also sought interest from cement manufacturers for setting up integrated cement plants or cement clinker grinding/blending/processing units adjacent to its plants in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Since aluminium is a continuous process industry, proximity to the company’s operations will give cement manufacturers a continuous supply of high-quality fly-ash and bauxite-residue, save costs incurred on logistics, and provide access to emerging construction markets in eastern and central India. To know more, please reach out to: info.wastetowealth@vedanta.co.in
Vedanta Aluminium’s webinar was attended by almost two hundred executives from the cement, construction and infrastructure sectors. Renowned experts in this domain – Mr. Ulhas Parlikar, Global Consultant – Waste Management, Circular Economy, Policy Advocacy, AFR & Co-processing, Prof. (Dr.) Virendra Kumar Paul, Head – Department of Building Engineering and Management, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, and Dr. Amit Chatterjee, Director – R&D, Aluminium Business, Vedanta Ltd. shared their insights and experience on the benefits of fly-ash and bauxite-residue in cement industry with the industry professionals.
Speaking at the webinar, Mr. Rahul Sharma, CEO – Vedanta Aluminium Business said, “We believe in seamlessly integrating principles of sustainability into the way we do business. Sustainable business practices form the bedrock of our operational excellence, as we generate long-term value for our customers and communities. We are working towards developing thriving value-chains to convert our by-products into resources, by fostering long-term strategic collaborations with complementary industries. We hope the Indian cement producers come forth to work with us on this innovative solution, which is a true win-win scenario for the industry and environment.”
Fly-ash and bauxite-residue, the two most voluminous by-products generated by the aluminium industry, can be used in cement and concrete manufacturing, providing cement manufacturers significant benefits in terms of quality output, cost and sustainability. Fly ash can partially replace cement in concrete (or be used to produce blended cement), significantly improving durability and workability of cement. In cement manufacturing, every tonne of fly-ash used can help save around 700-800 kg of carbon emissions, 4.2 million KJ of energy, and 341 litres of water. Bauxite-residue can be a very useful additive in raw mix for cement clinkers. The advantages of using bauxite-residue with slag improves properties of the raw mix, reduces energy consumption, and improves the strength of the final product. Both fly ash and bauxite residue being industrial wastes themselves, come with significant cost and energy advantages as well.
Sharing his insights and industry experience with the audience, Mr. Ulhas Parlikar said, “Fly-ash and bauxite residue are two voluminous resources that have huge potential for gainful use in the cement and construction industry. Properly utilized, they can contribute substantially to the cause of sustainable growth, circular economy and climate action.”
“Mainstreaming the use of fly-ash and bauxite residue is the need of the hour. Abundance of opportunities awaits their use as we move to a sustainable construction paradigm. It is a resource being wasted at the cost of materials that have potential to be replaced. Let us think differently!”, Prof. (Dr.) VK Paul added.
In line with its quest for fostering circular economy, in the current fiscal alone, Vedanta Aluminium has aided in utilization of over 3 million tonnes of fly-ash and 26,000 tonnes of bauxite-residue in cement, bricks and infrastructure industries.
Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium, producing half of India’s aluminium at 1.97 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in FY21. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. 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., 2.29 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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