Vedanta Aluminium wins multiple accolades for environment and energy excellence

Vedanta Aluminium’s refinery in Lanjigarh has won the Kalinga Environment Excellence Award and the Kalinga Energy Excellence Award

Bhubaneshwar & New Delhi, July 2, 2024 – Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of
aluminium, has won the prestigious Kalinga Energy Excellence Award and Kalinga Environment
Excellence Award for its alumina refinery unit at Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district. These awards
were presented by the Institute of Quality and Environment Management (IQEMS) in
association with the Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the Institute of Public Enterprise,
Hyderabad.
Vedanta’s Lanjigarh unit, India’s premier producer of smelter-grade alumina, has undertaken
multiple initiatives as part of Vedanta Aluminium’s sustainability goals such as Net Zero Carbon
by 2050, Net Water Positivity by 2030, effective waste management, biodiversity restoration and
adoption of energy-efficient technologies across operations. The company’s sustainability
initiatives have been acknowledged at the highest forums with Vedanta Aluminium scored top at
the S&P Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) rankings for the assessment period 2023.
Commenting on the achievement, John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, "Our
success in energy efficiency and environmental conservation, driven by our commitment to
sustainable operations, is reflected in our numerous accolades. Balancing increased operational
efficiency with a sustainable value chain is a top priority in our decision-making process. These
achievements underscore our relentless pursuit of excellence through a sustainable business
model, bolstering the transformational journey of Vedanta Aluminium."
Vedanta’s focus on meeting the growing needs of the nation is also closely aligned with the
needs of the planet. The company is contributing to the sustainable transformation of the
industry through initiatives such as increasing the usage of renewable sources of energy such
as use of biomass in boiler cofiring, deploying lithium-ion electric forklifts and incentivizing
employees to use electric vehicles. These efforts have resulted in significant reduction in overall
greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions intensity by ~9.3% in FY24 compared to the FY21
baseline, while increasing production by ~20%.
By leveraging water reutilization and fostering a water-positive footprint through collaborative
efforts with local communities and constant water-level monitoring, Vedanta Aluminium has
recycled over 15 billion litres of water across operations during FY24. Also, the company has
conducted systematic assessments and identified sensitive habitats and biodiversity hotspots
near its plants. Recently, the company signed an MoU for implementation of nature-based
solutions for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience around its operations.
Vedanta Aluminium also ensures gainful utilization of bauxite residue (a by-product of the
alumina refining process) as well as fly ash (a by-product of power generation process). Bauxite
residue is used for activities such as road construction around operational areas, soil

consolidation in wick drain development by combining it with fly ash and supplying it as raw
material to the cement industry, resulting in the utilization of more than 1,00,000 metric tonnes
of red mud so far. Gainful utilization of fly ash is ensured through its supply to National Highway
Authority of India for construction of roadways and to brick manufacturing units run by local
communities, thereby supplementing income of the villagers. These initiatives have resulted in
more than 200% utilization of waste in FY23.

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