- 23 lithium-ion battery-powered electric forklifts to be deployed at Vedanta’s Aluminium Smelter at Jharsuguda (Odisha)
- IOT- based Smart Fleet Management system for enhanced safety at site
- Potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of ~690 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually
Mumbai; 5th January, 2022: Vedanta Aluminium Business, India’s largest producer of aluminium and value-added products, has signed an agreement with GEAR (Gemini Equipment and Rentals Private Limited) India, to deploy one of the largest fleets of lithium-ion battery-powered electric forklifts, becoming the first in Indian aluminium industry to undertake such an initiative. The company shall commission 23 such forklifts in a phased manner over the next few months at its aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, Odisha, which is one of the world’s largest single-location aluminium smelters. Substituting diesel-fuelled forklifts with this green fleet will reduce diesel consumption by more than 2.5 lakh litres annually, thereby ensuring GHG (greenhouse gas) emission savings of nearly 690 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Vedanta Aluminium currently operates a large fleet of forklifts for finished goods handling, material movement, etc. The new lithium-ion forklifts will help maximise productivity of operations by enabling longer working cycles via rapid charging. What’s unique about the lithium-ion batteries is that they avoid the hassles of frequent battery change and have a substantially longer life than conventional lead-acid batteries, while being virtually maintenance-free, as they are completely sealed.
These 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.
Speaking about the partnership, Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Limited, said, “Vedanta Aluminium is committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050. Our partnership with GEAR to deploy one of India’s largest and most advanced electric forklift fleets, is in line with our endeavour towards leveraging the power of innovation and technology to make our operations future-ready. In addition to reducing carbon footprint, this initiative uses cloud computing to provide real-time analytics to enhance productivity and further bolster our people’s safety.”
Mr. Varun Chopra, Executive Chairman of GEAR India, added, “Vedanta Aluminium’s endeavour to replace fossil-fuelled heavy vehicles with technologically-advanced lithium-ion forklifts at such a mammoth scale is a praiseworthy move. It is our privilege to be Vedanta’s partner in this pioneering venture, which will go a long way towards decarbonizing their industrial vehicle fleet. This will serve as an inspiration for the Indian manufacturing industry to explore emerging technology solutions for achieving their Net Zero vision.”
Founded in 2007, GEAR is one of India’s leading Warehousing/Intralogistics Material Handling Equipment (MHE) rental service providers. 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.
Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium, producing half of India’s aluminium i.e., 1.97 million tonnes 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 company have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2020, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020, CSR Health Impact Award 2020, CII National Award 2020 for Excellence in Water Management, CII Digital Transformation Award 2020, ICSI National Award 2020 for excellence in Corporate Governance, People First HR Excellence Award 2020, ‘Company with Great Managers 2020’ by People Business and certified as a Great Place to Work 2021. Vedanta’s flagship Nand Ghar Project was identified as best CSR project by Government of Rajasthan. 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 Business, a part of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of Aluminium, producing almost half of India’s aluminium or 1.97 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in FY21. Vedanta 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. For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
About GEAR (Gemini Equipment And Rentals Pvt. Ltd.) India:
Founded in the year 2007, GEAR is one of India’s leading Warehousing/Intralogistics Material Handling Equipment (MHE) rental service providers. GEAR, in its pursuit of providing world class MHE to its customers in India, is offering products powered with ‘green lithium-ion technology’, which apart from being environmentally friendly, offer significant other benefits that maximise productivity and safety of its customers. These products have the potential to usher in a New ‘Green Revolution’ in India with its applications cutting across industries. GEAR also runs NIFOT (National Institute For Operator Training) with the vision of providing MHE operator training with respect to Operating MHEs, driving Efficiency and the highest level of Safety and Quality. For more information, please visit https://www.gear-india.com/; https://nifot.com
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