Vedanta Aluminium expands India’s largest fleet of electric forklifts 

By OEM Update Editorial July 12, 2024 4:22 pm IST

Vedanta Aluminium, has increased its fleet of electric lithium-ion forklifts to 66 units, bolstering its commitment to sustainable operations.

Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has expanded its fleet of electric lithium-ion forklifts to 66 units, strengthening its position as the largest deployer of electric lithium-ion forklifts in India. The company has successfully deployed an additional 22 electric forklifts at its smelter operations in Jharsuguda, Odisha, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable operations. This expansion bolsters the decarbonisation journey of Vedanta Aluminium.

John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, sustainability is a business imperative. We continuously adopt innovative practices to enhance our operational excellence. The deployment of 66 electric lithium-ion forklifts marks a milestone in accelerating our transition to a net-zero future.”

Deployed across Vedanta Aluminium’s units in Jharsuguda and Lanjigarh in Odisha, as well as its BALCO smelter in Chhattisgarh, these forklifts feature faster and safer battery charging capabilities. This revolutionises operational efficiency while significantly contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions. The introduction of electric lithium-ion forklifts helps mitigate the company’s carbon footprint significantly through a potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2,500 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. Substantial reduction in diesel consumption, with estimated savings of over 8.4 lakh litres per year.

The company has committed to decarbonizing 100 percent of its light motor vehicle (LMV) fleet by 2030. This ongoing effort stands as a testimony to Vedanta Aluminium’s constant endeavour to evaluate and deploy emerging technologies towards decarbonising its operations. Vedanta is among India’s pioneering companies to adopt sustainable operational practices, particularly in material handling.

The expansion of electric forklift fleet is yet another step Vedanta Aluminium’s journey to achieve Net Zero by 2050. To fulfil this commitment, the company is adopting a two-fold strategy of reducing its carbon footprint by increasing operational excellence and increasing renewables in its energy mix, while also offsetting its carbon footprint through extensive afforestation efforts. Through its operations, the company is enabling wider global access to responsibly-produced, high-quality aluminium to ensure a greener future for the planet.

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 metric tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks first 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 refineries, 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.