Vedanta’s Jharsuguda aluminium smelter receives 27 electric forklifts

In partnership with GEAR India (Gemini Equipment and Rentals Private Limited), Vedanta Aluminium, one of the largest producers of aluminium in India, stated that it has put in place India’s largest electric fleet of 27 forklifts at its Jharsuguda aluminium smelter in Odisha, which is the world's largest single-location aluminium smelter, ex-China. The forklifts were sent last month and are now operational.

These forklifts are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Not only this, the company is also recruiting and training women to operate these top-of-the-line forklifts, as part of its efforts to increase gender diversity in key industrial activities. The step has been taken in line with the Vedanta’s aim to decarbonise its industrial vehicle fleet.

Furthermore, these electric forklifts comes equipped with forward and reverse cameras to provide total vision to the workers, as well as red-zone light and blue spotlights to establish a safe working zone surrounding the forklift and an automated deceleration mechanism when turning for further safety.

To help assure the greatest standards of safety on site, these electric forklifts feature the cutting-edge 'Smart Fleet Management' technology. The Smart Fleet Management system integrates data acquired by intelligent terminals and provides Vedanta Aluminium with real-time insights on forklift speed, access to operate, collision avoidance, optimization analysis for operational efficiency, and equipment maintenance, among other things.

The other advantages of this ‘green fleet’ include:

• An yearly reduction in fuel use of more than 2.5 lakh gallons
• GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions reduction by about 690 tonnes of CO2
• Rapid charging increases operation productivity by allowing for longer working cycles.
• There are no difficulties with regular battery changes, they have a far longer life than traditional lead-acid batteries, and they are almost maintenance-free because they are entirely sealed.

“Vedanta, as India’s largest producer of aluminium, is committed to our dual objective of producing the best quality of aluminium for our customers while ensuring sustainable development of our business. Excellence in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance forms the bedrock upon which we evolve our business plans. In line with our commitment of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050, our partnership with GEAR to deploy one of India’s largestand most technologically advanced electric forklift fleets, is a strong step in our journey of decarbonizing our industrial vehicle fleet. We are also leveraging this avenue to increase women’s participation in core operations by training women drivers to operate these smart forklifts,” said Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Limited.

“Vedanta Aluminium’s pioneering endeavour to commission India’s largest fleet of technologically advanced forklifts undoubtedly serves as an inspiration for the Indian manufacturing industry to explore emergingtechnology solutions for achieving their sustainable development and Net Zero goals. GEAR, India’s leading Material Handling Equipment (MHE)organisation, is proud to partner Vedanta Aluminium in their decarbonization journey,” added Mr. Varun Chopra, Executive Chairman of GEAR India.