On Engineer’s Day, Vedanta Jharsuguda, the largest aluminium producer in the country, reiterates its commitment to leverage best-in-class engineering, technology and innovation to boost the country’s self-reliance in aluminium and fulfil raw material needs of critical sectors. As the Indian industry rallies to overcome the impact of COVID-19 and revive the economy, Vedanta is determined to work in close collaboration with its technology partners, consultants and customers to lead a globally competitive aluminium industry in the post-pandemic world.
Speaking about the company’s vision and manufacturing prowess, CN Singh, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda said, “Our commitment to emerge as the world’s most preferred aluminium producer is in line with our mission to be India’s partner in progress. Our world-class operations are a sought-after destination for India’s young engineers who want to be enabled and empowered to put their knowledge into action for superlative results. We are especially proud of our women engineers who are making a mark in non-traditional functions across metal and power operations. On Engineer’s Day, we reiterate our vision to develop India’s indigenous capacity, propelled by our engineering capabilities and technical prowess for meeting the raw material needs of key sectors like aerospace, infrastructure, space exploration, electrification, automotive, defence etc.”
Among Vedanta Jharsuguda’s many claims to fame is the fact that it is probably the only aluminium operation in the world where young professionals with an average age of 27 run such mammoth smelters and power plants. Hailing from some of the country’s finest institutions, engineers make up 29% of the company’s workforce, of whom 12% are women.
Mechanical engineer Yogesh Bohra, Wire Rod operations In-Charge at the company’s SEZ (special economic zone) Cast house, adds, “The engineering fraternity at Vedanta’s Jharsuguda operations is exceptionally capable, highly motivated and eager to hone their skills in pursuit of organizational and professional excellence. We are guided by seasoned global experts in our mission to fulfil ‘Desh Ki Zarooratein’ by producing more than a third of India’s aluminium from a single-location.”
Vikram Pradhan, Director of Pradhan Associates Pvt. Ltd. which is Vedanta’s operations & maintenance partners for fume treatment plant (FTP) operations, says, “As one of Vedanta’s engineering partners, we closely work with some of the most talented and dedicated engineers in the company’s smelter division. Our common pursuit of world class standards makes for productive synergies at work.”
Vedanta has partnered with some of the world’s best technology and engineering service providers to establish, operate and maintain its world-class smelters and power plants. The company has also collaborated with India’s premiere technical institutes, global experts and technology consultants to further its sustainability goals. Few examples:
Vedanta Jharsuguda is India’s first, and the world’s third, smelter to deploy Digital Smelter Solution, which allows for remote monitoring and control of potline operations, enhances energy efficiency, reduces raw material consumption and arrests wastage of material.
Implementation of Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA), ensure visibility of all critical plant operations and allow for informed decision making, ensuring seamless operations.
The company has developed an end-to-end digitally enabled central control module for inbound and outbound logistics, which looks into all aspects of supply chain planning and monitoring from mines to plants and then to ports. This logistics automation has resulted in an entirely paperless process with increased efficiency and reduced leakages.
Critical sections of the smelter operations, from potlines to cast houses, have deployed state-of-the-art engineering technologies to ensure highest quality metal and superior products at par with global standards. Hawk-eyed quality assessment of raw material and finished products make Vedanta one of the most preferred suppliers of aluminium to developed markets like the US and Europe. The company is India’s highest producer and exporter of billets and wire-rods.
Automations and robotic technologies have been extensively used across plant operations to unlock greater speed and efficiency while safeguarding employees and business partners.
• On sustainability front, Vedanta Jharsuguda is a forerunner in the domain of energy efficiency, earning national and global laurels. The company has deployed online and digital monitoring systems that help ensure all environmental parameters remain within stipulated norms. From Hybrid Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP) for reducing particulate emission to High Concentration Slurry Disposal (HCSD) systems for fly-ash transfer and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) with Ultra-Filtration and Reverse Osmosis (UF & RO) systems to ensure 100% treatment of water for recycling, the plant has put in place several high-end technologies for a better sustainability footprint.
Vedanta Jharsuguda is certified with the ISO/IEC 22301:2012 (BCMS – Business Continuity Management System) for business continuity, which is the one and only credible framework for effective business continuity management in the world. The BCMS certification stands testimony to the fact that the company is best prepared for a disruptive incident.
The company’s security and surveillance function uses drones and other high-end technology for enhanced surveillance to ensure safety and security of the plant and its people.
Vedanta is India’s largest producer of the green metal, aluminium, operating a world-class 1.6 MTPA aluminium smelter and 3615 MW thermal power generation facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The only Indian smelter in the global ‘1 Million Tonne’ production and export club, Vedanta Jharsuguda is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications across core industries. With one of the largest technically qualified and diverse workforces in the country, the company is working towards a sustainable and greener future for all by spurring emerging applications of aluminium, the ‘Metal of the Future’.
