Lanjigarh, Feb 19: Vedanta Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina and a part of Vedanta Aluminium, is exploring applications of biodiesel across plant operations as a part of its strategy to decarbonize its operations. The company has successfully conducted trial runs of using biodiesel as a ‘green’ fuel alternative for its fleet of commercial vehicles.
Increasing the use of biofuels in its operations is a strategic move in the company’s journey to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 or sooner. A similar initiative has been earlier rolled out at BALCO, the company’s unit in Korba, Chhattisgarh.
Biodiesel is a form of ‘green’ fuel derived from biomass and a renewable substitute for petroleum-derived diesel which, when burned, contributes to far lower greenhouse gas emissions, as compared to conventional and non-renewable fuels. Using biodiesel as a vehicle fuel increases operational efficiency while making substantial contributions to reducing carbon emissions and fuel consumption.
The company has also inducted 3-ton and 5-ton electric forklifts at its world-class alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha, adding toa fleet of 44 electric lithium-ion forklifts across its operations in Odisha and Chhattisgarh – the largest in the country.Vedanta Aluminium has committed to decarbonizing 100% of its Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) fleet by 2030 and 75% of its mining fleet by 2035, aligning closely with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7), which focusses on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.
Speaking about Vedanta Lanjigarh’s climate action endeavours, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya, CEO - Alumina Business Vedanta Ltd said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, we have adopted a two-pronged approach to climate action which includes reducing our carbon footprint and offsetting emissions. Transitioning to greener fuels is astridetowards reducing our carbon footprint. By substantially reducing the proportion of diesel needed to power commercial vehicles, Vedanta Lanjigarh is determined to take the lead in incorporating sustainability in every aspect of itsbusiness. This forms a critical part of our strategy to evaluate and deploy emerging technologiestowards decarbonising our operations and strengthen our position as an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) leader.”
