KORBA: Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer, has achieved historical lowest ever Specific Water Consumption at 0.60 m3/MT in FY 20-21 at its operations against 0.71 m3/MT in FY 19-20. Testimony to its continuous endeavor towards maximizing process efficiencies with optimized consumption of natural resources, BALCO has conserved more than 40,000 litres of fresh water in the previous fiscal.
BALCO is committed to the principles of sustainable manufacturing by focusing on the economic, environmental, and social aspects of metal manufacturing activities. The company has implemented conversion of an underground piping network of cooling system for rolled products, a water-cooling system for the hydraulic system to air-cooled system, underground fire line to overhead fire line, and reduction of the heat load of compressor house to optimize and reduce its water usage. BALCO recycles 100% of water in its smelter operations, true to its efforts of becoming a Zero Liquid Discharge operation.
Speaking on BALCO’s efforts towards resource utilization, Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director, BALCO, said, “Vedanta’s ethos of ‘Zero Harm, Zero Waste and Zero Discharge’ continues to guide our environmental and social performance. Effective management of resources, safety and environmental sustainability are pivotal to how we operate and produce aluminium – the green metal for a greener tomorrow. Our vision is to become ‘Water Positive’ and replenish more water than we consume. We are conscious of our responsibility towards building a greener and more sustainable tomorrow and, therefore, are actively exploring innovations that help in optimization of resources as early as possible in the creation process.”
BALCO’s sustainability strategy is focused on evolving production processes to become more efficient with increased use of green and clean technologies. The company has a focused approach towards excellence in operational practices, innovation, analytics, resource optimization, waste utilization and impact on local communities, with commitment to the principles of Zero Harm, Zero Waste & Zero Discharge.
S.K. Mishra, GM – Operations & Maintenance of NTPC GE Power Services Limited, which is BALCO’s O&M partner in Power Plant, said, “BALCO is doing exemplary work towards natural resource optimization by integrating various new-age technologies in its operations. BALCO’s approach and commitment to sustainable practices in the manufacturing process are unmatched. We are very proud to be a part of BALCO’s journey towards a stronger sustainable future.”
Recently, BALCO has also set industry benchmarks by topping the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Cycle-II among the Indian Aluminium Industry. BALCO secured the coveted top spot with the highest Energy Saving Certificates, a testimony of its continuous endeavors towards energy conservation for business and environment sustainability.
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is India’s iconic aluminium producer. It is owned 49% by the Government of India and 51% by Vedanta Limited. BALCO is part of Vedanta’s Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium. BALCO operates a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is also a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class smelter and power plants, the company fulfills its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
