Balco's energy conservation initiatives saved 22000 GJ in FY22, increasing its decarbonization efforts

India's iconic aluminium manufacturer, Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, conserved more than 22,000 gigajoules (GJ) of energy in FY22. As part of the company's commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier, Balco is gaining ground toward decarbonizing its operations.

Intending to conserve energy, in FY22, BALCO reduced:

• Specific Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) consumption at its cast houses by 10%
• Specific power consumption (energy used for producing a unit of product) by 15%
• Scrap generation in Ingot Casting Machine by 20% and in Wire Rod Mill by 31%, thereby reducing energy used in re-melting, which is energy-intensive

In addition, the company is using biomass briquettes to reduce its GHG emissions by 0.43 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by greening its fuel mix. As a result of BALCO's proactive approach to environmental protection and energy conservation, BALCO ranks among the best in the aluminium sector in India when it comes to energy efficiency as measured by the global benchmark.

Abhijit Pati, the CEO & Director at BALCO, while speaking about the company’s commitment to decarbonizing its operations in the long term, stated, “Our aluminium smelter is among the most energy-efficient plants in India and we are determined to further push the benchmarks of energy efficiency to lower our carbon footprint. In our commitment to sustainable business development, attaining the highest standards of energy conservation is a critical first step, which we are realizing through the deployment of cutting-edge technology, innovative solutions and judicious utilization of resources. Through such practices, we aim to achieve the larger goal of creating a sustainable future for the generations to come and contribute to the expeditious development of the region and nation at large.”

Vrajeshwari LLP’s employee Priyabrat Sinha, the person engaged as Site In-charge of BALCO’s Cast House articulated by saying, “As an organization that is committed towards environmental sustainability, we work with the BALCO team to improve existing processes and innovate ways to reduce energy consumption, fuel consumption, and optimize energy-intensive processes. Successful implementation of energy conservation aligned endeavours; act as an impetus towards further advancing such measures.”