Press Releases

Vedanta Jharsuguda leverages smart technology to sustain production and combat COVID-19

Jharsuguda, Odisha; May 11th, 2020: As India’s largest producer of primary aluminium and value-added aluminium products, Vedanta’s Jharsuguda operation endeavors to sustain production for the country while observing all necessary precautions to fend off COVID-19. Intelligent automation coupled with improvisations and innovations by technical staff across the plant has helped sustain production with minimum manpower and increased accuracy.

Referring to the company’s vision and manufacturing prowess, Mr. CN Singh, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda said, “Our commitment to emerge as the world’s most preferred aluminium producer is pursuant to our vision to be India’s partner in progress. On National Technology Day, we reiterate our ambition to develop India’s indigenous capacity, delving deeper into the usage of aluminium by leveraging innovation and technology. Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda is pledged to boosting India’s self-suffiency by actively contributing to Make In India, thereby transforming the socio-economic fabric of the country.”

Since inception, Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda has been leveraging state-of-the-art technology to build a word-class smelter which produces more than a third of India’s primary aluminium today. The company has deployed intelligent automation to enable its workforce to deliver superlative results with greater accuracy and customization. Few examples:

• Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda is India’s first, and the world’s third, smelter to deploy Digital Smelter Solution, which allows for remote monitoring and control of potline operations, enhances energy efficiency, reduces raw material consumption and arrests wastage of material through digital-twin technology and remote advisory system.
• Implementation of SAP and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) across various functions to ensure visibility of all critical plant operations and allow for informed decision making remotely through mobile applications, thus ensuring seamless sustainability of operations.
• The company has built an end-to-end digital central control module for inbound and outbound logistics, which looks into all aspects of supply chain planning and monitoring from mines to plants and then to ports. This logistics automation has resulted in an entirely paperless process with increased efficiency and reduced leakages. Even within plants, all operational parameters are monitored virtually while ensuring there is minimum physical proximity. RFID sensors at each operational point capture automated operational parameters within the plant.
• The company’s security and surveillance function uses drones and other high-end technology for enhanced surveillance to ensure safety and security of employees, business partners and allied service partners.
• Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda is certified with the ISO/IEC 22301:2012 (BCMS – Business Continuity Management System) for business continuity, which is the one and only credible framework for effective business continuity management in the world. The BCMS certification stands testimony to the fact that the company is best prepared for a disruptive incident, while having the capabilities to resume critical functions immediately and recover operations, functions, sites, services or applications.

Currently, amid the pandemic also, the company has deployed a smart combination of high-end technology and indigenous innovations to ensure health and safety of employees while maintaining continuity of business operations.

• The company established a digital Emergency Control & Command Center for monitoring movement inside plant premises, keeping a tab on collective health status at plant and township, and keeping employees and families updated with information and government guidelines as well as report medical emergencies or seek help.
• Digital collaboration platforms have been used to connect employees working from home, remote service providers, customers and plant sites at all times. This helps maintain a steady flow of information between relevant stakeholders and enables quick decision making at all levels of management.
• To manage footfall and social distancing at township stores selling vegetables, milk, groceries etc., an online timeslot-booking portal has been developed inhouse to regulate the number of people and timings during which they can go to the neighborhood shops to buy essentials.
• Telemedicine facility has been enabled in the Vedanta township-based hospital for patients to phone-in for consultation with doctors instead of physical visits. Additionally, a 24×7 medical helpline and home-delivery of medicines has also been initiated.
• Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda’s employees have developed ‘no-touch’ handwashing stations at various locations inside the plant premises which operates with simple pedal-gear mechanism to ensure good hygiene among employees and business partners.
• A multi-level virtual war-room has been created to monitor the evolving COVID situation daily and take decisions accordingly.

Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda is India’s largest producer of primary aluminium with an installed smelting capacity of 1.6 MTPA. It is the only Indian smelter in the global ‘1 Million Tonne Club’ primary aluminium producers and exporters. The company currently produces more than a third of India’s primary aluminium backed by world class assets, new-age technology and innovative practices and a robust sustainable development framework. With a strong focus on safety, the company is committed to delivering sustainable and robust growth, which creates value for its shareholders and stakeholders.